Birth of a Phoenix
by phoenix catcher
Summary: Complete. No pairings. Twin:Harry. Fatally ill Harry runs away for years only to return when his twin brother needs him the most. Being discovered he starts to crumble to his illness. Includes Character Death but that isn't the end for him.
1. A Lost Cause

Birth of a Phoenix

Disclaimer; Everything that you recognise in this story belongs to J. K. Rowling and to other published authors or owners if by chance I include anything else.

Chapter 1; A Lost Cause

**October 31 1981**

James and Lily both felt the wards fall and the thought that they had been betrayed by Wormtail was the first thing to go through their minds. That, however, was quickly forgotten though as they looked at their twin sons in horror. The time for Voldemort to mark his equal had arrived but they weren't just going to roll over and allow it.

"Lily, take Harry and Ben and run!" James yelled out. Lily only cast a brief concerned look at James before scooping her two fifteen month children from the floor where they had been playing together until their parents had become panicked. She ran up the stairs and into the nursery and dropped the boys into their joint crib before taking up a defensive position in front of the door. The cast every spell that she knew at the door in an attempt to protect her two sons from Voldemort but she knew that it was only a matter of time.

She didn't know what had happened to James but knew her fate was sealed as the door exploded and struck her in the head knocking her out instantly. Voldemort looked around the room in distaste before carelessly aiming his wand at the two boys watching him from their crib.

If he'd paid more attention when he cast the Killing Curse he would have seen that the boys had linked their hands together tightly and drawn themselves closer in their fear of him. The green curse struck the two fraternal twins as one. His eyes widened in horror though as a flash of fire erupted from one and a bubble of magic burst into being around the second. They melted together just as his curse struck and it ricocheted off of it and hit him in the chest before he could react.

With a scream of pain his soul was ripped from his body and it felt to the ground like a rag doll.

When the Order of the Phoenix arrived almost half and hour later it was to find both boys huddled together with the burning magical bubble around them still. It wasn't until they had revived James and healed Lily's wounds that the boy's reluctantly slipped into a deep sleep and dropped the bubble of magic and allowed their relieved parents to hug hold them as they slept.

Voldemort's death was announced to the Wizarding public within only four hours and the identities of Harry and Benjamin Potter as the Boys-Who-Lived and their saviours was known by almost every Wizard or Witch above the age of five.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**1985**

Harry opened his eyes blearily as he woke at the sound of his door creaking open. He forced himself onto weary arms as he watched his twin walk into the room with their three year old brother, Damien, in tow. As soon as Damien saw him he streaked passed his older brother and launched himself onto the bed.

Harry sagged against his pillow at the sudden extra weight but without his weight on his arms he drew his arms around Damien's body. He smiled up at Ben as the brown eyed and red-black haired boy smiled at him with every ounce of love he had in him. They were fraternal brothers but were almost identical in appearance. They had the same sort of look to them though Ben had a hint of red in his hair and his fathers brown eyes whereas Harry had inherited his mothers emerald green eyes and black hair. There was also a dramatic difference in both their height and build with Ben being taller and more healthily built than Harry.

Damien hadn't gotten his fathers black hair or his eyes and had vibrant red hair and emerald eyes. Harry watched his slightly older brother grab two potions from the dresser and waited till he could remove one of his arms from around Damien so that he could silently downed them both. Instantly he felt more comfortable as the tightness in his chest faded. Some of the colour also came back to his pale face that even in his tough life hadn't lost its healthy shape and his eyes had never dulled from their lively gaze thanks to the nurture he received under his brother's care.

"How are you feeling, Harry?" Harry pushed gently on Damien to get the three year old to back off and was rewarded when the boy settled against his side like he did when Harry read to him. "Did you sleep ok?"

"I got a few hours." Harry replied. If anyone had been listening to the conversation they would never have guessed that it was two five year olds speaking instead of two adults apart from their young voices. They had always been very serious especially in the last two years since Harry had become ill. "And I feel ok." Harry added on when Ben just stared at him.

A grin spread across Ben's face and he settled on Harry's other side and hugged his younger brother to him. Their three year old brother wasn't going to let himself be left out though and he launched himself onto Harry's lap to hug his two older twin brothers.

"Be careful, Damy!" Ben was quick to scold him as Harry flinched at the sudden pressure on his chest. Damien recoiled but Harry reached out and gently brought him back to him.

"It's ok, Benji." Harry smiled calmingly at his older twin before kissing Damien on his forehead. "Just don't be so sudden."

Damien nodded enthusiastically and was about to speak when an echo of a loud voice reached them.

"Ben!" Their mother, Lily, called loudly, probably from the kitchen. "Damien! Hurry up, your breakfast will get cold."

Harry couldn't control the slight flinch at the sound of her voice, he rarely heard either of his parents voices and he could never control his violent reactions to the reminder that he did actually have a mother and father even if they would happily forget their had a third son between their eldest and youngest, especially now that Lily was pregnant again.

Harry shooed his younger brother away with a smile and the small ball went barrelling out of the room and down the hall with heavy steps. He almost jumped when Ben spoke up next to his ear, he had almost forgotten he was there. "I tried to get them to come talk to you last night."

"I've told you not to bother, Benji." Harry sighed and let his head fall onto Ben's larger shoulder.

"I'm not going to just let them forget you!" Ben snarled angrily. "To them you're just an expense that they'd feel guilty for not paying. I heard them talking about shipping you off to the permanent ward at St. Mungos."

"Maybe that wouldn't be so bad?" Harry asked though he didn't believe it himself, he didn't want to be separated from his brothers but Ben had no friends of his own since he gave his whole day to Harry's happiness and no five year old should live like that.

"Just because they don't know what is wrong with you doesn't mean they should just give up!" Ben complained. It was an old argument, as soon as their parents had learnt that his disease couldn't be identified, let alone treated, they had begun to lose interest. First it was just small things like not coming up to sit with him, then it was things like forgetting to bring up food for him but this summer had been the last straw for Ben when they'd forgotten Harry entirely on their birthday. The argument between Ben and their parents in front of a house full of guests had been entertaining for Harry who could hear every one of their rather loud words.

"Don't worry about it, Benji. I'll always have you." Harry twisted his head and smiled up at him.

"Of course you will!" Ben declared. "Cos, I love you!"

"'Love you too." Harry whispered. "You'll take good care of Damy right? You wont let him forget me will you?"

"What are you talking about!?" Ben hated it when Harry talked like this, it normally meant that he was planning something. Last time Harry had downed four pepper up potions and snuck out. He'd summoned the Knight's Bus and taken a trip to Diagon Alley. Ben had been so worried by the time Harry was brought back by the Leaky Cauldron's bartender, Tom, after he had drifted off after buying an early breakfast.

"You know what I'm talking about, Benji." Harry sighed again. Instinctively Ben knew that something else was wrong. Harry sounded sad more than anything else but he didn't know about the packed back under the bed that Harry had made up last night after listening to Ben's brief argument about his parents ignoring him. He had heard them forbidding Ben and Damien from going to Harry's room in case they 'caught' whatever was effecting him.

Ben would have responded but another shout from their mother interrupted him and by the time he looked back at Harry, his younger twin was asleep on his shoulder. He gently manoeuvred himself out from under Harry's head and laid him back down on his pillows before slipping out of the room to go to breakfast. He didn't once realise that Harry was still wide awake.

Harry cried steadily. It had to be today, he felt stronger than he had in months and could miss the opportunity to slip away permanently. He loved his two brothers with every cell in his body but he couldn't ruin their lives because he was so ill. They both deserved a chance to be happy and have a normal childhood.

Before Ben returned after breakfast to see how he was he was already on the Knights Bus heading as far away as he could manage but he would never forget his earliest years and his beloved brothers.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	2. Returning Home

Birth of a Phoenix

Chapter 2; Returning Home

**Godric's Hollow; The Following Evening**

Ben paused at the kitchen door rocking on the balls of his feet silently as he warred with himself over what he would do. He could still hear Damy's sobs ringing in his ears even though his brother was very much asleep and almost twenty metres from him through several doors and walls. He was torn between doing what he felt in his heart that his beloved brother, Harry, would want and to do what his childish demand wanted him to do. On one hand he wanted to keep Harry's escape a secret long enough so that the boy would be free forever but on the other hand he wanted to be able to hug him again and he'd need to tell his parents if he wanted Harry to be found.

In the end his own five year old needs won out and he stepped into the room. His parents looked at him in an instant and soon concerned looks spread across their faces and before he could speak he found himself held tightly in front of his mother as they crouched in front of him. He suddenly realised that the tears he had shared with Damy were still burning on his cheeks.

"What's the matter, duck?" His mum asked him.

"Ben?" His faster was at his side. "Why the tears? Is something wrong with Damien?"

Ben shook his head slowly. "Harry's gone." He sobbed lowering his head and missing the shocked looks that his parents shared before a pained, yet relieved, sigh escaped Lily's mouth.

"I'm so sorry, Ben." His father soothed him. "We knew it would happen, we tried to make it so it wasn't so painful for you and Damien." Ben looked up, there were actual tears in his parents' eyes.

'_They think he's dead!' _Ben realised with a jolt and quickly shook his head. "Harry's not dead!" He cried, annoyed at his parents for assuming that and at their admission of trying to distance the family so that his death wouldn't hurt so much. '_He's my twin, it'll always hurt!'_

"It's ok to be shocked, Ben." Lily tried to soothe him as he struggled to break her grip. "Harry's in a better place now, he's not hurting anymore."

'_Yeah, he's in a better place! For Harry, any place is better then here!'_ He thought angrily before blurting out the truth. "He ran away!" His parents both recoiled with horror and his mothers gripped loosened enough for him to scamper out of the room.

He ran blindly to his younger brother's room with tears streaming down his face. He tucked himself up beside Damien who turned to hug him even in his sleep and he slowly drifted off to sleep to dream of Harry again and his brother's sweet smile.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**1994**

Harry sat in the chair beside the bed of his mentor and the only father figure he'd ever known. The fourteen year old was barely recognisable from his younger appearance and as he stared at the elderly man before him he wondered what his twin would look like now. He probably still had that eye-catching red tinted hair that Harry had always envied but he knew that his brown-eyed brother had always envied his living emerald eyes.

Harry was much paler then he used to be, no matter how much time he spent in the garden he couldn't force his skin to darken but his hair and eyes were still the rich colours they had always been even if his face was drawn below it. The man before him was his saviour.

When Harry had ran away from home he had been picked up by Muggle Police before he could be found by the Wizards and had been placed in an orphanage in a small town called Saint Ives in Cornwall. Though they had sent him to the hospital as soon as his energy failed him the doctors hadn't been able to cure him though they had given him pills that helped him to breathe easier when the tightness came and helped ease his movements.

He had grown up in the small coastal tourist town for several years before meeting the man in the town. He had instantly felt himself drawn to him and had realised that the man was a wizards but there was something about him that screamed old and Harry had grown up seeing Albus Dumbledore. Nicolas Flamel had taken the boy under his wing after realising who Harry really was and had tutored Harry in magic and even found him a wand even though Harry had trouble casting even the simplest of spells. He'd also been the first person to help Harry discover what was wrong with him and found a way to ease Harry's pain and to keep him alive.

If it wasn't for Nicolas Flamel, Harry would have succumbed to death almost eight years ago and now their roles were reversed. Three years ago the stone that had kept Nick alive for over six hundred had been destroyed and Nick had run out of its life giving energy. A month ago Harry and Nick had watched as Perenelle had died and now Harry watched as Nick passed into the 'next great adventure' as Nick liked to put it.

As Nick closed his eyes for the last time a burning welled up inside Harry like it did when he was in his Animagus form. Nick had warned him that as a Phoenix he would always feel strong emotions, especially protectiveness and loyalty, indignation and revenge and every time he felt a warm burning in his chest. This was the first time he had felt it as a human.

He lay on the edge of the bed as the hand he was holding went limp and he was only half aware of the nurse moving the sheet to cover his face. Harry stayed where he was for an hour before finally allowing the nurse to help him into his wheelchair and then let himself be pushed out of the house. He'd been in his normal form for too long; turning into a Phoenix helped to revitalise his human body but the effect was temporary and with every year it helped less. Sometimes he wished that he could stay in human form for the rest of his life but he hadn't wanted to risk running through a rebirth in case it did something irreversible to his human body.

Harry wheeled himself slowly towards the beach as he thought, it was a warm day and he wanted to think about what he would now do. He knew from Nick and Perenelle about his family. His parents had commissioned a three month search for him but with the arrival of twin girls they had called it off and he had been declared dead. Ben was just finishing his fourth year at Hogwarts whilst Damy would be in his second and undoubtedly the twins would be due to go to Hogwarts in a years time when Damy was in fourth year and Ben in his sixth.

He had been monitoring Ben at Hogwarts and knew that this afternoon was the final task of the Tri-Wizards tournament that Ben had been illegally entered into. As Harry stared at the breaking waves and the children swimming in the water he decided something that he had been toying with ever since he had heard of the Dragon nearly eating his brother in the first task.

Harry wheeled himself out of sight of all of the onlookers and without a second thought to the children at the orphanage who he had never really gotten to know that well he fluidly changed into the gold and red bird that was his Animagus form and with a happy a vitalised chirp he exploded into flames and vanished.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Hogwarts**

Harry reappeared in a swirl of flames in the afternoon sun. It was cooler up here than in Cornwall but still rather warm. He took in the beautiful vista of Hogwarts with what would have been a smile had he been human. He had wanted to come here four years ago but Nick had pointed out that until he was ready it wouldn't be wise to put himself in the limelight but Harry had no intention of showing anybody who he was, not even his brothers. Yet.

Harry heard screaming and for an instant he thought something was wrong until he realised that they were cheers rather than screams. He wheeled towards the sound and flew slowly towards what must have been the third task. He wanted to watch his brother in action and maybe see his beloved little brother as well.

He felt a sudden pressure as the schools wards brushed over him. He knew from Nick that they didn't allow anybody to travel through them in their Animagus form but just as he was about to land so that he could walk, or hobble, through them the brushed passed him admitting him entrance. He would have frowned if he had the muscles necessary but after hearing a sharp whistle and an uproar of cheers he brushed it off and flew around the school and into view of the Quidditch pitch.

The crowd was enormous. The students in two of the stands with parents and friends in another whilst the professors and the Ministry officials took up another stand. Harry circled low over the stands going unnoticed so far as the last two contestants were released into the maze. He tried to spy into the magically enlarged maze but saw only shadows except for the central square where a glint of gold stood on a stone pedestal.

Harry was disappointed that he hadn't been able to see Ben but knew that he could see him after the tournament was over. Harry circle lower, not caring if anyone saw a rouge Phoenix flying around the maze, but still couldn't pierce the shadows. They were obviously placed so that the audience didn't know who was winning until they got the trophy. Harry almost lost control of his flight after a few minutes when he noticed a flash of vibrant red hair and after a better look he saw the bright green eyes that so matched his own.

He let out a mournful trill before diving down to land in front of one of the two holes in his heart. The twelve year old stared at him in shock as Harry folded his wings from his new perch on the railing around the stand. It seemed as though most of the occupants of this stand had gone quiet as they stared at him though the rest of the stands still seemed to be chatting. Harry knew he should do something but he could bring himself to do anything now that he was so close to Damy once again.

He had to fight the urge to turn back into a human and wrap his arms around his little brother but he knew he wouldn't get a good reaction from the audience even if Damien even remembered him. He knew that Ben would remember him and even that his twin knew he was still alive. Harry could feel Ben's life force next to his own and knew that Ben could feel his. Harry however wasn't sure if his little brother would have any memories of him.

Damien had grown into a handsome boy with his clashing green eyes and red hair and he had obviously made friends judging by the people around him though they looked more like fourth years than second years. Perhaps they were Ben's friends.

"What is that?" Harry jerked his head to the side to a boy sitting two spaces to Damien's left. He had bright red hair just like the girl that sat between them. Harry felt indignation brush his mind. He looked back at Damien and felt the emotion vanish beneath regret and sadness.

"Honestly Ronald!" The brown haired girl on the right side of Damien spoke rather primly. "It's a Phoenix."

"Fawkes?" The girl, brother to the first boy, asked sceptically.

"No." Damien whispered and Harry felt his heart melt at the long missed sound of his brother's voice. "Fawkes is larger. This one is young."

The older boy, Ronald, had stood up and moved towards Harry who took a step sideways on the railing in warning. "Don't antagonise it, Ronald." The brown haired girl warned.

"Don't worry, Hermione." Ronald grinned over his shoulder. "It's just a pigeon, it cant hurt anyone."

Harry narrowed his eyes and lashed out with his beak catching Ronald's finger with a sharp bite that tore into the skin. The boy's scream of shock and pain was enough to settled Harry's need for revenge and he ruffled his wing feathers to show that he wouldn't stand for insults. He saw Hermione looking at Ron in concern as they fussed over his hand and he also noted that Damien and the other girl were laughing quietly.

"I don't think you should insult a Phoenix, Ron." Damien chuckled as he held out his hand, presumably for Harry to smell, like you would for a dog.

Harry tilted his head in amusement and flared his wings. Damien froze up in fear at the sudden move but didn't risk moving his hand away from Harry. A moment went passed where the two girls told Damien to back away and off to the side a newly arrived professor said the same thing as she pulled a wand. Harry ignored all of this and jumped off of the railing, over Damien's hand and onto his forearm.

Damien jolted his head back as Harry leaned in but laughed as Harry nipped at the red hair that framed his face. "You're heavy!" Damien told him as he slowly lowered his arm to his lap. Harry took the hint and jumped down onto Damien's robes.

'_God, I've missed you Damy.'_ Harry felt pain in his chest and for an instant he thought of pulling out his tablets before he realised that it was just his pain at leaving his brothers.

Harry stayed where he was ignoring everything around him except for every movement that Damien made, from the slight shake of his leg, to the twitch of his fingers on his feathers and the slow brush of air from his breathing. He didn't notice the ever growing crowd of people studying him nor the other Phoenix that appeared before him.

'_Don't ever let me go, little brother.'_ Harry sobbed though it was only noticeable as a slight shaking under Damien's hands. '_Not ever again.'_

They waited like that for about half an hour before somebody in the crowd cried out. Ronald and Hermione ran forwards to the banister and started peering through a set of binoculars. "It's Ben!"

Harry flinched at the name but obediently flew up from Damien's lap as the boy tried to stand. He settled back on the bench but found himself too close to the other girl, he vaguely thought her name was Ginny, or at least he thought somebody had mentioned that name. She reached out to try to stroke him while the others were busy but Harry just snapped his beak at her to warn her off. He was only bothered with knowing Damien and Ben. He didn't much care for anybody else.

Harry flapped his wings to reach the railing and refolded his wings just as Ben and another boy emerged from one of the mazes paths. The shadows seemed to thin and vanish as they approached the centre allowing everybody to see them approach the cup in the centre. They still had about fifty yards to go.

'_That wasn't particularly nice.'_ A voice spoke in his head. It had a slight trill to it and Harry snapped his head away from the maze and to the larger Phoenix now perched beside him. '_She was only trying to be kind to you.'_

Harry didn't deem to reply, to be honest he didn't know what he should say. He'd never met a Phoenix before and he had had no idea that they could talk to each other or that that ability would carry over to Animagus forms as well.

'_I don't normally involve myself in trivial human games like this but when Albus saw you arrive he called me down to speak to you.' _The Phoenix told him. '_Albus calls me Fawkes.'_

'_Who is Albus?' _Harry directed his thoughts back to him with a trill that probably wasn't necessary.

'_Albus is the human that I chose to protect.'_

'_Can he understand us?' _Harry suddenly asked worried that the aged Wizard that had forced Nick to die could understand him.

'_He can only understand me if I direct my thoughts to him.' _Fawkes lectured. '_I am not at this moment involving him in this conversation.'_

Harry relaxed slightly. '_Can I talk to humans too?' _He trilled out drawing Damien's attention to the conversation.

'_Only the one you chose to protect.' _Fawkes told him. '_You are young yet and haven't taken a charge. I wonder.'_

'_Wonder what?'_ Harry asked irritated.

'_Do not worry, young one. We were all like you are now with much to learn and discover.' _Fawkes levelled him a look before glancing at Damien who was still watching them. '_Is this human the one you have chosen?'_

Harry lowered his head slightly in the negative though honestly he just didn't really know what he was getting himself into. He had only come to see his brothers again. He hadn't planned beyond that.

"They're taking the cup together!" Ronald cried out at the same time that the crowd stood and began cheering out together. Harry snapped his head around and back to the maze just in time to see Ben and the other boy place their hands on the Key at the same moment. Before anyone could cheer the end of the tournament the cup vanished along with its two passengers. The humans around them gasped in shock which quickly turned into horror as the students realised that the professors hadn't been expecting this.

Harry watched numbly as Damien collapsed onto his chair. Hermione sat beside him and hugged him with one hand. Harry stared back at the now empty maze which was rapidly shrinking into the ground as people swarmed onto the pitch in confusion. The sun was beginning to sink behind the high mountains and the light was dimming leaving the stand lit orange with the glow that Fawkes and Harry were inadvertently emitting. Harry sprung from his perch next to the older Phoenix and settled lightly on Damien's knee again.

Damien automatically began stroking the side of his head and Harry trilled out a happy trill which brought a small smile to his younger brother's face. "It'll be ok, Damien." Hermione told the second year boy comfortingly. "The Professors will find him and bring him back."

Damien just broke down. "I cant lose him as well." He whispered but it was loud enough for both Harry and Hermione to hear him.

'_If only you knew.' _Harry thought as he realised that Damien did indeed remember Harry and feared losing Ben as well.

"Fawkes." Dumbledore's unwelcome voice broke through Harry's attempts to draw the twelve year old out of his pain. "Can you find him?"

Harry turned to look at the other Phoenix but Fawkes' attention was on his charge as he spoke to him but Harry could still hear the conversation. Fawkes was obviously including him in it. '_I can't. He is hidden. Only a Phoenix with an existing bond could find him.' _Harry felt himself cringe slightly. He should have come sooner so that he could have made Ben his charge and then he could have rescued him regardless of having to miss Nick dying.

Harry continued to try to comfort Damien as he thought about his options. He could turn back into a human and convince Dumbledore to use his twin link to try to find Ben but that would cause other problems. Would Damien forgive him for leaving and would Ben for that matter? What would his parents do when they saw him? Would they shut him up again and forbid anyone to go near him? He was just thinking about what his two younger sisters, that he had never met, would think of having a third older brother when he decided to reveal himself.

After almost half an hour of people panicking and people trying to come up with rescue plans he nipped slightly on Damien's ear and lingered their so that he had the boy's attention. Damien looked into his eyes and saw the glimmer of emerald hidden in the depths of the black eyes. Harry rubbed his beak against the side of Damien's cheek feeling his tears on his beak. He turned on Damien's lap and leapt up to the banister.

Fawkes was watching him and so were most of the small group of professors and students and he steeled himself for the future of captivity that would inevitably come from them knowing who he was. He was just about to change into the weak body he hated when a sharp pain spread through his body. It only lasted a second as if it was only an echo of a much greater pain but he still released a pained cry that made everybody there cringe in pain.

It only took Harry a second to realise that the pain was coming through his twin link to Ben and only another second to summon the energy to transport himself across the country.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Graveyard**

Harry didn't have any idea where he was when he reappeared only that he was near to his twin, the closest he'd been since they had lain on his bed together nine years ago before Ben had gone to breakfast and Harry had slipped out. Harry took one look around as he appeared in mid air and didn't like what he saw. Ben was twitching slightly as he forced himself up onto from on his knees to standing.

Fifteen other people were here as well but one man stood out above the rest for the pain that Harry received from just being here. He knew that Ben felt the same pain and Harry swooped down just as Ben cried out the disarming hex at the same time that Voldemort cried the Killing Curse. The spells collided with a colossal crack and a web of light sprung into the air forcing Harry to spin in the air and land on a splintered headstone to avoid being hit by the rapidly forming dome of magic that was keeping the figures in black at bay but also Harry as well.

Harry watched in shock as a line of magic linked Ben's wand with Voldemort's and knew with his Phoenix senses that there was no good left in Voldemort at all, he was completely evil. A bead of light began working it's way towards Ben's wand even as Ben forced his will against the older man's. Harry reached out with his own mind and boosted Ben's effort even as he trilled loudly, his call echoing to every corner of the graveyard making the Death Eaters and Voldemort cringe and Ben to become slightly less fearful of what was happening.

Between them they forced the bead into Voldemort's now bucking wand and watched in fascination as spells were regurgitated from the wand including the spectre of the student who Harry had seen grab the wand along with Ben. Harry glanced to the side and was saddened to see the boy's body on the ground with his vacant eyes staring at the stars.

Without warning Ben wrenched his wand arm away from Voldemort and with a bright flash of collapsing magic the dome crumbled and out of the light ran Ben as he tried to make it to the trophy lying so inconspicuously on the ground only a few yards from the student's body. Ben paused to grab the student and Harry took flight to delay Voldemort as he and his servants tried to make it to Ben before he could escape.

Harry dodged one spell in time to see another streak passed him and slam into Ben's back tearing open a hole in his skin from his right lower ribs to his left hip. Ben lost his grip of the student who fell limply straight onto the trophy and both vanished into thin air back to Hogwarts. Ben collapsed to his knees in pain but Harry wouldn't just give in. He span in the air and dived down to Ben.

His claws gripped his older brother's shoulder tightly just as another spell came their way though it hit nothing by burning flames as Harry and his cargo transported back to Hogwarts.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	3. Reunited by Untruths

Birth of a Phoenix

Chapter 3; Reunited by Untruths

**Hogwarts Quidditch pitch**

Harry didn't know where he was heading when he transported out, all he knew was that he was following the last pathway from that place. In this case the portkey's return trip with the other student's body.

The Quidditch pitch had changed since he had left. The maze had vanished and the smoothly cut grass was covered in adults with only four students left. Ben fell to the ground as soon as they appeared and Harry rode on his chest as his brother fell on his back. Harry snapped his beak at an approaching man who he didn't like the look of and the peg-legged man hesitated nervously with a faked eye that twirled crazily in its socket.

He gave the same treatment to an old man that could only be Albus Dumbledore and the man seemed rather shocked by his treatment. "Damy!" Ben gasped making Harry spin around on his rather torn up shirt at the twelve year old that skidded to a halt in one the grass at his older brother's side.

"Are you ok?" Damien asked but just got a groan from Ben. Harry jumped onto the grass and flared his wings before bending low to nudge at Ben's flank with his beak as if trying to turn his over onto his front. Damien seemed to get the hint and got a panicked look on his face. "Are you hurt?"

Ben nodded wearily before trying to turn himself over. Harry snapped his beak at Dumbledore again as his Phoenix side felt only protective instincts towards his two brothers and didn't want the headmaster involved in them. Damy pushed and pulled at his older brother and got him over onto his front before grabbing at his hand and gripping it tightly in his own.

Dumbledore, Damien and a few others who had arrived gasped at the sight and a white robed woman bustled over with her wand. Harry leaned over his brother's back and gripped the bloody shirt at the bottom and pulled it up to expose the deeply cut skin and flesh of his brother's back. He beat the healer to the task though as he leant over and tilted his head. Normally he had to remember every bad memory he had in his head to make himself cry but being so close to his brother's again with all of the emotions this presented him with was enough that he only had to think about tears and four pearly white drops fell onto his brother's tanned skin.

They soaked into the cut and it began to close slowly and before long there wasn't a single blemish on Ben's back, not even the blood that had stayed on his skin. Ben gasped as the healing finished and Harry only just managed to jump backwards before being knocked over as Ben twisted around and sat up. Damien launched himself at Ben and wrapped his arms around his older brother and Harry felt jealous bubble up inside of him but he couldn't work out who he was jealous about, he wanted to be hugging both of his brothers.

Damien pulled himself back and Harry hoped forward and landed lightly on Damien's outstretched legs. Damien looked for an instant like he was going to hug Harry and the Phoenix Animagus found himself feeling disappointed that Damien controlled himself.

"Headmaster?" Ben's voice brought Harry back from his staring contest with his youngest brother. "I don't understand. Is that Fawkes?"

"No, my boy." Dumbledore stepped forwards but Harry's snapping beak made him pull up short. Harry did notice the old man fingering his sleeve, presumably where he hid his wand, just like Nick had done. "This fine young creature appeared just after the start of the task. He seemed to take a liking to Damien here but took off after you when you were kidnapped."

"I don't think he likes Ron though." Damien muttered getting a strange look from his older brother. "He clawed his hand."

Harry ruffled his feathers in an exaggerated way as his pride bubbled up again. "And I believe that Mr. Weasley has learnt a valuable lesson about not calling Phoenixes Pigeons." Dumbledore put in with a smile on his face.

"Albus, perhaps I should escort Mr. Potter up to the Hospital Wing so that you can deal with other…er…problems." The peg-legged man suggested from behind the Headmaster's shoulder and flicked his hand in the general direction of a sobbing set of parents crouched over the other student's body. Harry stilled himself and stared at the scarred Wizard in suspicion, something wasn't right about him but Harry couldn't place why; all he knew was that the man was lying about something.

"Ah, that's probably for the best, Alastar. Perhaps you should take Damien with you as well. I believe James and Lily are in the Gryffindor Tower trying to calm the twins and the other students." Dumbledore nodded before turning to leave. He paused and glanced at Ben. "We'll talk about everything that happened as soon as you have been checked up in the Hospital Wing."

The Headmaster was only two steps away when Alastar, the peg-legged Wizard, limped forwards with a come-hither gesture and a strange glint in his eyes. Harry had only seen that glint in the eyes of the Orphans when they were being tempted with chocolate or ice cream. It was greed. Harry took to the air with powerful strokes regardless of his young Phoenix shape and screeched out a warning that had the Headmaster twisting in his step and his wand in his hand.

Alastar took a step back away from the irate Phoenix and glanced at the Headmaster who produced a confused look. "What's the matter?" Dumbledore asked, though Harry wasn't sure who he was talking to.

"I don't know, Albus, maybe the bird is unstable." Harry wanted to glare but knew it wouldn't show on his features. "Perhaps we should detain it until we figure out what to do with it."

"_Unstable!"_ Harry thought in annoyance. "_Detain! It!"_ His flapping steadily got more aggressive and Alastar took a nervous step back which definitely got Dumbledore's attention. Obviously Alastar wasn't known for his nervousness.

Alastar grabbed at a bottle on his belt and brought it to his lips to drink for it and Harry instantly knew that whatever was in that bottle was the thing that had made him not want Alastar anywhere near his beloved brothers. He screeched out and launched himself forwards. Alastar back peddled and the canteen slipped from his fingers. It landed on the grass as Harry circled back to guard Damien and Ben from the air.

"What is that, Alastar?" Dumbledore question as he focused on the contents of the canteen now spilling out across the grass. Harry glanced at it and noted that it definitely wasn't water. It was too syrupy.

"I'd recognise that anywhere, Headmaster." A silky voice sounded from beyond Dumbledore. A man with greasy hair and a crooked nose appeared from the gathering darkness. "That's Polyjuice potion." Instantly both his and the Headmaster's wands were pointed at Alastar.

A peculiar, and rather psychotic, look spread across the scarred Wizard's face and in an instant his wand was pointed at Ben. "**Diffindo!"** He spat and a dark blue curse shot across the ten feet towards Ben.

Harry acted on instinct without regard to his own health, only knowing that the two other Wizards wouldn't be able to react in time and that Ben and Damien weren't holding their wands even if they did know a protection spell powerful enough. He dipped his flight and caught the deadly Severing Charm with his own body. All he saw before his eyesight became cloudy was two spells striking 'Alastar' in the chest. Pain erupted all across his small body and he lost control of his flight hitting the ground with a dull thud.

He blinked his eyes and saw Ben and Damien's faces hovering over him with concern. He didn't note any pain in his twin's eyes and figured that while he was a Phoenix any pain wouldn't be transferred to his older brother. Whether it was his pain or his relief he found that he didn't really care the why or how, he just snuggled into Damien's chest as the red-haired beloved brother lifted him with every bit of care and cradled him in his arms.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Hogwarts Hospital Wing**

Harry awoke without feeling any pain which was unusual for him. Normally the first thing he felt when he woke up was the pain in his chest that was the primary symptom of his terminal illness but this time he felt nothing. A strange feeling stung in his back and he realised that he was lying on his wing rather uncomfortably.

"_Hang on…my wing?"_ In an instant he was wide awake and struggling to right himself onto his talons, it was the first time he had woken up as a Phoenix in a long time and the feeling of sleeping without pain was still strange to him. The folded duvet that seemed to have been placed for him to lie on only managed to stun his attempts to right himself and he squawked indignantly as he got himself tangled and fell over again.

Soft hand folded his wings in carefully and he let them knowing instinctively that he wasn't in any danger. The soft hands lifted him and another set unwrapped the duvet from his talons having to pull at it where his sharp talons had cut into it in his panic. The figured behind him placed him down on the clear table and he span around to find himself looking at Ben. He froze.

It felt like his heart was splitting in two and if it hadn't been for the fact that he had felt this very emotion earlier when faced with Damien for the first time in nine years he would have thought that he was about to die. Ben frowned at him before sitting back on the white hospital bed. Damien sat down next to him.

Harry forced himself to unfreeze which took most of his strength and then forced himself to look away from his two brothers and study the room. It was empty of people but it was lined with two rows of twelve beds. At the end on either side of the door were two rooms with open doors leading to bathrooms and at the other end, near to them and furthest from the door were two more rooms. One was labelled stock room and the other just had the name Madam P. Pomfrey written on it.

Between the sixth and seventh bed on their side of the room was a double doors made of glass that led onto a long balcony that ran passed the windows of the Hospital Wing. "I supposed I have you to thank for my current good health?" Harry snapped his head back around to Ben as his older brother spoke. Harry didn't know if he was supposed to answer in some way so he leaned his head around and opened on of his wings so that he could start straightening his crooked feathers.

A soft laugh echoed through the room and Harry glanced up at Damien who was the laughs owner. "He reminds me of you Benji." Damien chuckled. "Far too modest."

Ben slapped his younger brother on the arm playfully before standing up. "Mum and Dad said we were to bring you down once you'd woken up." Ben told Harry.

Harry stared at them for a moment before flapping his wings a couple of times to take to the air. He landed on Ben's outstretched arm and with a few jumps and a scramble he was on the fourteen year old's shoulder. Harry preened at Ben's unruly hair for a moment and heard bother his beloved brothers' laughs. This was where he belonged.

"So, are you sticking around?" Damien asked and Harry realised that he was speaking to him. Harry stared at him before nipping gently on Ben's ear. "I'll take that as a yes then."

Ben waved his hand to get Harry's rather sharp beak away from his tender ears but Harry just pulled up his other wing and began preening it like he had the first. If was going to have to see his parents he was going to look his best. Harry stayed on Ben shoulders the whole way through the corridors of Hogwarts to what was evidently the Great Hall.

When they walked through the open doors the whole school fell silent as they all turned to look at the trio. Harry looked around the room slowly taking in the four house tables and the head teachers table and the large black banners that covered the walls every few metres. Two small nine year olds bolted from the head table and flew down the isle between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables and Harry quickly took to the air as the two twin girls slammed into their older brothers. "_Well, the human ones at any rate."_ Harry thought to himself glumly as he flew in ever higher circles up until he could land on one of the rafter beams.

Harry watched as the four siblings, "_My siblings!"_ walked towards the head table and he found himself curious as to whether the two twin girls even knew that he had existed. He suddenly felt like he should slap himself. Ben would never had allowed them to grow up not know of him. Harry had made him promise not to let Damien forget him and Harry had been given proof that Damien knew him and even missed him.

Harry stared bemusedly as a white cloud floated passed his face and amused himself by blowing it across the air as his brothers accepted hugs from his parents. By this point the rest of the students had started their conversations again as they ate their dinner and contrary to school policy the whole Potter family settled down at the end of the Gryffindor table to east dinner. They were soon joined by the two Weasley siblings and the bushy haired girl from the third task the night before.

Harry couldn't hear their conversation from this height and he wasn't sure he wanted to since he could clearly see their smiles even through the sad mood that pervaded the Great Hall. He could feel the headmaster's eyes on him throughout the rest of the meal but it wasn't until almost an hour later and the students, baring the Potter brothers, had all gone to bed that the old man brought him up.

Most of the professors left the hall with the exception of a rather scruffy looking half-giant and the deputy head-mistress who joined the headmaster as he walked down to the end of the Gryffindor table to sit with the Potters.

"Have you ever seen our new friend before, Benjamin?" Harry heard Dumbledore ask kindly. Harry saw his older twin brother shake his head in the negative. "What about you, Damien?"

"No, Sir." Damien answered verbally. "Yesterday was the first time. I thought he was Fawkes to start with before I noticed how small he was."

"_Small!"_ Harry thought with a twinge of pride but he pushed it down and let the comment slide since it was Damy that had said it. Harry tiled forwards and opened his wings so he could glide slowly down to the table. Harry settled lightly on the centre of the table near to Ben and Damien who sat opposite each other, both with a little sister on one side and a parent on the other. The Professors sat on the other side of the parents.

Damien reached out to him and Harry hopped across to him to accept his gentle scratching on the side of his neck. Dumbledore decided to start up the conversation again. "I wouldn't worry, Lily." He told the anxious woman. "I highly doubt this Phoenix would harm either of your son's. You may very well owe him for saving Ben's life after all."

Harry lifted his eyelids to take in his mother. Her hair had a grey tinge to it but the thirty-eight year old woman was just as he remembered her. Her green eyes that were identical to his own and Damien's. His father looked slightly older as well and the two twin girls, Acacia and Crisanta to follow his mother's family tradition of using flowers as names for the girls, had the same brown eyes and black hair as he did. Harry couldn't tell which was which since they were identical twins rather than Harry and Ben's fraternal relationship.

James lifted a hand and leant over the table to stroke him and Harry waited for his hand to come firmly into range before lashing out with his beak. It closed over James' finger and bit into the flesh scoring two deep incisions before the Wizard could pull his hand away from his grip. Harry hopped out of reach of the man as he dodged any retaliatory strike from the pained man.

"What did you do _that _for!?" Ben asked him in shock.

"He did that to Ron." Damien put in bluntly, "Though Ron did call him a pigeon so I don't blame him."

Harry gave his little brother a smug look before bouncing to his side. Dumbledore started talking again. "_He really does like hearing his own voice doesn't he?" _Ben and Damien snorted in laughter and Harry jumped. Had they heard him?

"I don't understand this reaction, Fawkes can get rather aggressive to anyone who insults him or me but I cant see how James insulted him." Dumbledore lectured.

"_Look's like you don't know everything after all, old man!" _Harry thought and saw both of his brothers look at him in confusion, they'd heard him, he was sure of it. "_Can you hear me?" _Harry focused on them both but they didn't move or react in anyway. Obviously he could speak to them. Harry sighed slightly. Maybe it was because he was only an Animagus and not a real Phoenix.

Harry studied his two sisters that he had never met; they hadn't appeared in the Daily Prophet like Ben had numerous times. They were cute little girls with identical faces and seemed to move with a grace that stemmed from the fact they were twins. Harry wondered if he and Ben would have been that close if he hadn't gotten ill.

"Don't!" Lily warned as one of them reached out to touch him.

"Be careful Acacia." Damien warned as he placed his own hand over her arm so that he could pull it away if Harry made any move to bite her. Harry found it interesting that Lily didn't seem to know which was Acacia and which was Crisanta but Damien and presumably Ben could. Harry turned his head to look directly at the approaching hand and it stopped as Damien tensed up.

Harry chirped to calm the boy before ducking forwards and pushing up at the palm of the hand with the top of his head. He heard a gasped from Acacia as she started to stroke at his head. He moved across the table so that Crisanta could stroke him too.

"Perhaps because he is so young he doesn't like adults." Dumbledore suggested. Harry would've sniggered at the assumption if he could have. "Either way I think he's here to stay, perhaps he's here to bond with Benjamin."

"He seems to like Damien just as much as me though." Ben pointed out without looking at his headmaster.

"Phoenixes cannot bond with two masters." Dumbledore lectured.

"_I'm not here to bond with them, old man."_ Harry glared at said Wizard from under Crisanta's hand.

"Maybe he's just here to visit?" Damien offered making Harry wonder again if he could hear him.

"Right boys. Time for bed." Lily told them before standing and separating her daughters from Harry whilst avoiding him sharp beak. Harry took off as Ben and Damien stood and headed for the main doors. He flew out of one of the upper windows and decided to explore the grounds for a while.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Gryffindor Tower Balcony**

Harry only needed to study his twin bond to be able to find his brother and by the emotions he could sense through the bond he needed some company. Harry landed on the railing of the balcony silently to find his beloved brother sitting against the wall with his knees up against his chin and his arms wrapped around them. His head was leaning against his knees as he stared sideways with his eyes shut. If Harry could sense anything to the contrary he would assume that he was asleep.

Harry smoothly glided down off of the balcony and landed gently on the floor in front of Ben's feet. He leaned forwards and tugged on the boy's black trousers to gain his attention and was awarded with a startled stare. "Oh, hello boy. Damy and I were wondering where you'd gotten to."

Harry moved slightly as Ben stretched out his legs but left them slightly bent. Harry took the hint and bounced up onto his left knee. He flared his wings slightly to balance himself but folded them again to study Ben. He was only about six inches from the boy's face and they were eye to eye so he could easily see the tears on Ben's cheeks.

Harry leant forwards and gently rubbed the tears away with the side of his beak. When he pulled back Ben rubbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his robes. "Sorry." Ben muttered, "I'm sure you didn't come here to see a weakling."

Harry clicked his beak to get across that he disagreed. "I am weak; I needed you to save me from Voldemort didn't I." Harry sighed internally since he could answer verbally. "I couldn't help Cedric, just like I couldn't help Harry."

That was enough for Harry. He leant forwards and painfully rapped Ben on the side of his head with his beak. "What!?" Ben glared at him. "You think I could've helped Harry and I chose not to."

Harry walked carefully down Ben's thigh and his brother straightened his legs. Harry stood on Ben's lap as he stared into his brown eyes. Eyes that he'd never forget. He didn't know how he knew that it would work but he just knew that he needed to express himself to Ben.

"_You did help Harry!"_

"You can talk!" Ben hit his head against the wall behind him as he recoiled in shock. "That was your voice that I heard making fun of Headmaster Dumbledore." Harry ruffled his feathers in pride at his recognised accomplishment. "You know Harry."

Harry stilled and sagged slightly, he hadn't thought this through properly. Yesterday, sitting by Nick's dead body, he had known only that he needed to see Benji and Damy but he hadn't even considered whether he'd be able to do it without losing control of his need to speak to them, to be able to curl up in his bed with them again whenever he was lonely.

He'd ruined Ben's first few years making him play doctor and nurse to him because he was too sick to do it himself. Did he have the right to show up in Ben's life again and demand attention? Ben had friends here but he hadn't had the chance when they were younger. Could he run the risk of ruining Ben's chances to be happy just to settle the rampaging pain in his chest created from the loneliness he had always felt?

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter

A/N; I know this is shorter than normal but I couldn't make up my mind on what was about to happen. Do I expose Harry's identity to Ben or do I drag it out? Please let me know what you want to see.


	4. Long awaited tears

Birth Of A Phoenix

A/N; **I warn you now…This is a VERY SAPPY chapter…if you don't like then you'll just have to put up with it since it is vital to the story that they act like people would in reality in this situation.** **If anyone thinks that they wouldn't then you are just really really cold hearted. Seriously!**

Chapter 4; Long awaited tears.

****

Hogwarts School; Gryffindor Balcony

Harry stared at his beloved brother as he felt himself being torn in two directions. At first his only thought was wanting Ben to know that he was still alive and he almost changed back to his human form in that instant but then something stilled him. For five years Ben hadn't had a life because he had sworn to give Harry the best life possible and it was because of that that Harry had left home and hidden all these years. To give Ben that life. Was it really right to throw all of that away now?

But then again Ben didn't need to help him now, he would spend most of his time as a Phoenix which didn't need the medication and he had his medication with him to ease the pain when he was human. Ben had the right to know that his own sacrifice all those years ago hadn't been forgotten. Harry leaned forwards and licked Ben lightly on the nose before spinning and flapping heavily to move onto the ground at the end of Ben feet.

"Wait!" Ben cried. "You can't leave."

If Harry had had his doubts they vanished at the desperate tone in Ben's voice. He turned back to Ben and in one fluid motion he began to grow and soon he wasn't looking across at the seated form of Ben but down on his fraternal twin as a human.

"Harry!?" Ben sobbed before scrambling to try to stand up while getting as close to Harry as he could as fast as possible. Harry almost had to catch him as he tripped over his own feet but luckily Ben recovered or they would have both fallen over. Harry was weak in this form.

"Yeah Benji, it's really me." Harry felt tears falling down his cheeks and didn't honestly know whether they were new or not. He would have cried as soon as he saw Damien on the pitch but Phoenixes don't cry like normal people.

"I'm so sorry." Ben grabbed him close to him in the tightest hug that Harry had ever felt.

"Sorry for what, Benji?" Harry asked.

"For making you leave." Ben whispered into his ear.

"I left because I wanted you to have something close to a normal life." Harry told him. "I left because I wanted that, not because I didn't want to be with you. I've wanted to come see you and Damy for years but it was only after Nick died that I actually got up the courage to. I didn't have anything left to stay there for."

"Nick?" Benji still hadn't released him.

"Nicolas Flamel," Harry told him with some pride. "He's been looking after me but he passed away yesterday morning."

"Oh god!" Benji seemed close to a complete breakdown and Harry was surprised that he wasn't. "That's my fault."

"No it wasn't." Ben snapped his head back to look at him and Harry kissed him on the chin since he was so much taller than him. "I've read everything written about you or Damy since I left. Nick never blamed you and neither did Perenelle before she died. They were ready to move on otherwise they wouldn't have let the stone out of their sight."

"So, you're not leaving again?" Ben asked hopefully.

"Not if I can help it, big brother." Harry smiled through his tears and let his face fall into Ben's neck as they held each other up. "I'm so glad to be here again."

"Where? Hogwarts?" Ben asked though Harry couldn't see his confusion.

"No," Harry chuckled. "Here in your arms."

Ben's arms tightened in response to this before he suddenly tensed and started to pull away though he obviously didn't want to. "What about Damy?"

"Do you think we should tell him?" Harry asked.

"It's not fair not to." Ben pointed out.

"I know, but this is too much for me." Harry told him honestly. "Can we wait for a few days so I can get used to the idea of being back with you?"

"Of course but it's going to hard to keep it to myself." Ben told him.

"You can't tell Dumbledore or mum and dad!" Harry suddenly pulled back but Ben was already shaking his head.

"There isn't a cell in me that wants them to know you're back." Ben told him honestly. "Except maybe one that wants to see their faces when they find out you're still alive. They've been telling us all that you died a long time ago but me and Damy never believed them and we kept telling Acacia and Crisanta that you were still alive. Mum got worked up every time the twins brought you up."

"So they know about me then?" Harry asked.

"They know everything about you that me and Damy could remember." Ben assured him.

"Does Damy remember me then?" Harry asked as he twisted his fingers in his trousers nervously.

"Not a lot but he remembers the most important things like the fact that he loves you and that he misses you as much as I do…I mean did." Ben told him.

"God, I love you so much Ben, I hated being gone." Harry sobbed.

"I know, I love you too." Ben assured him. "So…what's with the Phoenix?"

Harry brightened. "Nick figured that since it was my body that was ill then I should get out of it for a while to ease the pain. He taught me to become an Animagus and it turned out to be a Phoenix. I don't feel any pain when I'm a Phoenix and you can't feel my pain either."

"I thought Phoenixes were impossible since they are magical creatures." Ben frowned.

"So did Nick but I am one." Harry shrugged. "And I'm glad even if it's just because I could save you that once from Voldemort."

"Thanks." Ben told him shyly.

"You'd have done the same thing." Ben was just about to agree when pain shot through Harry's spine and Harry let out a gasp just before Ben did. Harry fought it down before reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out his small tub of painkillers. Ben wasn't as used to the pain though and collapsed to his knees. Harry would have helped him but knew that he was only feeling what Harry was so he stuffed two of the tablets into his mouth and swallowed them.

They went to work after only a few moments and Harry put the bottle away before crouching to see Ben shivering. "I'm sorry, Benji. I didn't mean to cause you any pain."

"I never felt your pain like that before." Ben told him.

"It never used to be this bad when we were younger but it's gotten more painful." Harry could still feel a slight twinge in his chest but hoped that it wasn't passing over their bond. "Can you still feel it?"

"Only a little bit, how can you cope with that?" Ben gave him such a look of worry that Harry felt his heart become whole once again.

"These help," Harry told him as he passed his bottle of medication over. "But I don't feel it in my Phoenix form." Ben smiled at him slightly before settling down on the ground and pulling Harry down with him. "By what I've read I've had it easier than you have."

They talked for most of the night about their different lives and about their twin sisters but Ben said that it was really Damien's place to talk about himself and he wouldn't take that away from him. Harry agreed and found himself excited about the meeting.

The sun had long since broken the horizon when Harry stood and slipped seamlessly into his Phoenix form. _"That's better." _Harry spread his wings wide as he stretched.

"I can hear you." Ben told him.

__

"Really?" Harry twisted around to face him. _"That could be interesting to play with. I'll meet you in the Great Hall."_

"Where are you going?" Ben asked as Harry dropped off the balcony and spread his wings to soar out over the forest below.

__

"To test this things limits." Harry told him as he did a little loop the loop. He heard Ben's laugh and felt his own pleasure bubble up inside of him. _"And to go irritate our father."_

Harry figured either Ben hadn't worked out how to speak back to Harry or he wasn't dignifying Harry with an answer.

Harry soared through the upper windows of the hall half an hour later to a full audience of people. He flew passed all of them and settled in front of his father wondering what the man taught at the school, he was probably going to take the Defence Against the Dark Arts job. His plate was full of food but the man had gone completely rigid in case Harry went for him.

The rest of the professors muttered between themselves and Harry could hear Ben laughing at the table behind him as he caught onto Harry's plan. _"This should be fun."_ Harry thought to his older brother.

__

"What are you going to do?" Ben asked working out how to think his words across to Harry.

"That would be telling." Harry thought back childishly.

James Potter chose that moment to reach for his fork to continue eating his breakfast but Harry was faster. James barely got away from his beak before it closed again and the hall went completely silent. James almost tipped over the back of his chair. He frowned before lashing his hand out for the utensil but Harry was too fast with his Phoenix reflexes and bit into James hand.

James swore even as Minerva McGonagall on Harry's right hid a chuckled behind her hand as Harry ruffled his feathers and chirped. The students all began to laugh at the Auror's discomfort but Harry didn't let up and he could hear Ben's laugh amongst the students and in his own head and it warmed him completely. Every time James reached for either his fork or an item of food Harry went for him with his beak until finally James gave up and pushed his chair back from the table and crossed his arms. Harry twisted his head and stole a strawberry from a dish in front of his mother before taking off into the air.

He skimmed across James' hair with his talons before he wheeled around to go in search of his brother who had tears of mirth running down his cheeks as he wiped them away. Harry landed in the middle of the table accidentally knocking the bushy haired girls, Hermione's, glass of water over across the table.

__

"Having fun there, Harry?"

Harry looked at Ben with an imperious look and chirped happily as he flicked the strawberry into the air and caught it in his beak and began munching on it happily. Ben glanced sideways at his father and Harry turned to look at him too only to see him very slowly eating his dinner with a thunderous expression on his face. The rest of the teachers were glancing at the man with amused expressions.

"Honestly, Ben." Hermione spoke up as she dabbed at the table with a serviette trying to stop the water from reaching her. "There is a no animal rule at the tables except for owls and that's only because they are kept clean."

"Uh…Hermione." Ben started but Harry beat him too it by flaring his wings and knocking Ron Weasley's glass of orange juice straight off the table onto her lap. The students in the area burst into laughter again and Harry chirped before dodging over to Damien for protection. "Never mind." Ben trailed off with a small smile on his lips.

"Ben, get rid of that bloody bird!" Ron shouted and Harry was about to send something else flying at him when he felt Damien's hands close around his wings. He gave a token struggle before relaxing into the touch with an annoyed chirp. He watched in amusement though as the two fourth years struggled to clear up the mess.

__

"You'd think they weren't learning magic." Harry laughed. _"What's with the serviettes when they have wands in their pockets."_ Ben snorted in amusement again and drew a confused look from his little brother who hadn't seen Ben laugh so much all year.

Ben pulled his own wand and pointed it at the table top. "Evanesco!" He stated and with a fizzing sound the water and orange juice on the table vanished into thin air. Hermione looked at him with an annoyed look before doing the same with her robes.

__

"Can you do magic, Harry?" Ben asked him mentally.

__

"Not a thing, well I can but only in my human shape and it really _hurts and it progresses my pain."_ Harry answered truthfully.

"Benji, are you talking to the Phoenix?" Damien's voice made both brothers jump.

"What!?" Ben frowned.

"I don't know, I just got the impression that you could hear him." Damien looked so dejected that Harry almost wanted to turn into a human then and there to hug him but he refrained.

__

"We'll tell him when we get home." Harry promised Ben.

__

"You sure?" Ben asked.

__

"Look at him, Benji, I can't not tell him." Harry pointed out before taking to the air.

__

"Wait, you're coming home with us?" Ben asked him.

__

"Of course I am stupid, you think I'm going to leave you now that I'm back?" Harry teased.

"You're doing it again, Ben." Damien told him seriously.

"I know, Damy, I'll explain when we get home tonight." Ben promised and Harry jumped up from the table onto Damien's shoulder before leaning around and starting to preen his little brother's red hair. He saw Ben smiling sadly at him and they both stood to leave for the school train waiting for them out in Hogsmeade.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

****

Potter Manor; Cumbrian Mountains

The train ride had been uneventful. Harry had slept on Ben's shoulder most of the time only waking once when a teenaged boy with bright blond hair entered and goaded his brothers and their friends into cursing him. His comment about the boy smelling like a ferret had brought tears to Ben's eyes but his laughter had only worked to confuse the others.

When Harry appeared after a rough trip held against Ben's chest through the floo he took off to settle on the back of a chair in what was the lounge of the house. Harry could only actually remember his own room and his own bathroom from his early childhood since he hadn't left much and when he had been young enough to leave he had been too young to remember it that well.

"I don't see why we have to play host to that Phoenix." James Potter was grumbling to Lily.

Lily just huffed lightly. "We don't really have a choice, James. Phoenixes can go anywhere they please and besides a Phoenix isn't going to hurt anyone."

"What do you mean? He bit me just this morning." Harry ruffled his feathers and he heard Ben and Damien chuckling quietly though their father obviously heard them. "Boys, go upstairs and unpack before dinner. And take that bird with you!"

"Yes, dad." Ben laughed again before holding up a hand for Harry who obligingly flew up onto his older brother's arm and from there to his shoulder where he tugged on Ben's black and red hair. "Such a sweat Phoenix, don't you think 'Cacia?" Ben asked his youngest sister with a smile as she nodded vigorously. As Ben carried him passed his father Harry leant out and snapped his beak again making the trained Auror leap backwards out of range.

Harry jumped off of Ben's shoulder so that Ben could heft his trunk without Harry getting in the way and instead Harry settled onto the top of the truck for a free ride. "You're being very useful."

__

"Oh, you want help do you? You could have asked!" Harry chuckled before gripping the top handle in his talons and flapping twice using his Phoenix magic to lighten the trunk to almost nothing. He flapped low over Ben making him duck with a grumble about annoying pigeons. Harry whistled mentally just happy to be joking with his brother, something that they had rarely done even as young boys.

Harry dumped the trunk at the top of the stairs since he didn't know which was Ben's bedroom and took to hovering in the air until Ben had pulled the trunk to the last room on the landing. A plaque on the door said that it was Ben's though another under it read 'and Harry's.' But it seemed to have been put on and removed so many times that it was barely held on.

__

"Nice plaque." Harry laughed.

"I know, dad hates it. Thinks I should let you go. Mum says that if it makes me happy then I can keep it." Ben told him before changing to mental words. He'd obviously gotten the knack of it. _"So technically this room is yours too."_

"Thanks, Benji." Harry chirped as well before flying into the room which had windows on two sides and two doors in the third wall.

"Those are the wardrobe and a bathroom that I share with Damy. It leads through to his room so I'm sure he'll be through in a minute to irritate me." Ben chuckled.

"We'll have to wait until tonight to tell him. We can't risk me turning human if mum and dad are up." Harry told him.

"I know." Ben said before frowning. "Did you just call them mum and dad?"

__

"Yeah, I always have, they did love you and Damien and they obviously still do so I don't really have a problem with them." Harry told him. _"Well, I suppose I do in the fact that they abandoned me when I needed them but they only did it because they wanted to protect you and Damien."_

Ben gave him a long stare that would have had Harry shrugging if he'd had proper shoulders so Harry continued trying to explain. _"They are different people now and I'm going to look at them like different people but that doesn't mean I won't give them a hard time about it."_

"Good, because they deserve it." Ben told him.

__

"But you still love them, I can feel it." Harry pointed out. _"It's probably why I am willing to forgive them. We feel the same way."_

"Just like twins are supposed to." Ben told him with a wide smile.

__

"Did you ever envy Acacia and Crisanta?" Harry asked.

"Sometimes, especially on their birthday. They'd always wear the same and play around with mum and dad pretending to be the other, always swapping their gifts and I used to wish that we had been able to do the same."

__

"We don't look the same." Harry pointed out with a chuckle.

"You know what I mean. We could have done stuff only twins could do. Share things." Ben told him. "Actually grown up at the same time."

Harry fluttered across the room and landed on Ben's shoulder as the boy stood from dumping a load of his clothes into the bottom drawer of his cupboard. _"We were always twins, I always knew you were alive and I never stopped thinking about you and what you were doing. I envied them at dinner yesterday at the table but I realised that we can still have that, we can still be brothers."_

Ben smiled at him. "I know."

"Who are you talking to?" Damien's voice spoke up from the bathroom door.

"Damien!" Ben jumped. "What happened to knocking?"

"Couldn't be bothered." Damien replied in what seemed to be a common teasing argument. "You were talking to someone."

"Just trying to talk this bird off my shoulder so I can unpack." Ben lied and Harry knew he hated the action. Harry helped him along by gliding off of his shoulder and onto the corner of the bed.

"Well that seemed easy." Damien commented with a smirk but Ben just threw him a glare before dropping his things into his various shelves and cupboards or sometimes just on the floor. Damien sat on the bed next to Harry and the Phoenix was forced to flare his wings to keep his balance. "You said you'd explain when we got home."

"Uh…" Ben froze up briefly before sending an honestly apologetic look at his brother. "Later, when mum and dad think we're asleep and we can lock the doors without them getting suspicious."

"That serious huh?" Damien raised both eyebrows in surprise. "And there was me thinking you were just going mental."

__

"No, that too." Harry blurted out and felt Damien tense beside him.

"Did he just agree with me?" Damien asked his older brother.

"Yeah. Later, I promise Damy." Ben sighed. "And you, keep your beak shut or you'll get us caught." Harry just ruffled his feather before beginning to clean the back of his wing in mock submission that made both brothers snort in amusement.

A knock at the door broke the mood and when Ben called out for them to enter, Acacia poked her head through the door. Harry assumed he could tell them apart because Ben could and filed it away as a twin thing. "Mum told me to tell you to tell Damien that Dinner's ready."

"Damien's sitting on the bed, 'Cacia." Ben sighed.

"But mum didn't tell me to tell Damien so if I don't tell you to he'll starve." Acacia pointed out.

"I'm sure he's clever enough to figure it out when I leave the room for dinner." Ben pointed out just as logically.

"But mum said…" Acacia trailed off as if she was upset but Harry saw through it easily.

"For the love of…" Ben sighed before turning to look at a smirking Damien still sitting on the bed playing dumb to Acacia's presence. "Damien, dinner's ready."

Damien hid his smile behind his hand as he walked passed Ben and out into the hall, ruffling his little sister's hair on the way and pretending not to see her smirk as well.

"Can I carry the birdie?" Acacia suddenly blurted as Harry spread his wings to fly to Ben's shoulders.

__

"Why not?" Harry spoke helpfully to Ben when he looked at Harry expectantly.

"Sure, 'Cacia, just walk slowly and don't bounce or jump around or you might throw him off." Ben lectured. Harry took off and landed extremely carefully on the nine year old's small shoulder. It was a bit precarious since Harry didn't want to put any tension on her shoulder with his claws but he managed it.

They walked slowly down to dinner together and Harry realised that if only Crisanta had come up too then they would've been together for the first time without their parents. As they walked into the dining room, Lily was almost beside herself as she saw Harry on Acacia's shoulder.

"You let him land on your sister?" She gasped looking at Ben.

"It was you that said he wouldn't hurt us." Ben pointed out. "Besides Acacia asked to carry him and he obviously agreed."

"Well he can't sit on the dinner table." James told them all and both Damien and Ben snorted with laughter as they remembered that morning at breakfast. Harry settled on the arm of Ben's chair and let himself be fed small pieces of fruit from the table. Ben tried to offer him some meat and vegetables but neither of them ever really settled properly in his stomach. He did drink some orange juice from Ben's glass however regardless of Lily's protesting look.

When dinner finished, Harry knew that Ben was nearly asleep and bolstered his strength with a burst of a trill as they walked up the two flights of stairs to where Ben and Damien's rooms were in the west wing. His sisters slept in the East Wing as well as their parents but would move into the south wing on their own when they started at Hogwarts.

__

"You're tired." Harry announced as he took a perch on Ben's headboard as his older brother shucked off his shoes and socks.

"Yeah, I didn't want to sleep on the train while you were asleep." Ben told him.

__

"Sorry." Harry winced. _"Don't forget to lock the door."_

"You don't mind seeing me just in my shorts do you?" Ben asked suddenly rather sheepish.

__

"Ben, technically I'm not wearing anything." Harry pointed out with a chuckle.

"You have feathers." Ben pointed out.

__

"And we spent nights sleeping together naked when we were younger." Harry pointed out.

"Yeah, alright, I just wanted to check with you before I stripped down." Harry settled more comfortably as Ben did just that before opening the curtain's wide and opening the balcony door. "So you can leave if you want to, I don't want to have to get up if you want to fly around."

__

"I was planning on sleeping as a human if that's ok with you?" Harry suddenly felt rather foolish for wanting it.

"Really?" Ben seemed to perk up. "That's cool with me."

__

"You do remember that Damien's going to come through that door in a minute to talk and you're standing there in your boxers." Harry pointed out before realising with a pang that he didn't know anything about how his brothers acted with each other in their own privacy.

"Damy won't mind," Ben told him. "When we were younger we'd both wake up thinking you were still around and end up sleeping in the same bed to fill that void. I still feel it sometimes and Damy never frets if he wakes up with me next to him. We've never been shy, seeing each other in the shower doesn't bother either of us or even walking around naked."

__

"That'll be strange." Harry admitted.

"If you think about it me and Damien wouldn't be this close if you had been around." Ben spoke but neither said whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. The inner door opened and Damien walked in except he was wearing his dressing gown over a t-shirt and presumably shorts.

__

"How the hell am I supposed to tell him?" Ben's voice was loud and clear in Harry's head but Ben's body was shaking ever so slightly. Damien saw this before Harry could answer him.

"Benji, why are you shaking?" Damien was across the room in seconds and in front of Ben.

__

"Just tell him you know where I am and that I'm alive." Harry suggested, _"I'll do the rest."_

"You sure?" Ben asked back as he reached out to hug his youngest brother to him tightly.

__

"Yeah, it's my fault we're in this situation, I can't let you take this on when it's my responsibility." Harry assured him before hoping off the bed to a chair. Damien glanced at him from the hug but just returned his attention to his older brother, at least to the human one.

"Damien, you know how I've always told you that I can feel that Harry is still alive?" Ben asked and Damien nodded slowly as he pulled back from the hug with a confused look. "Well now I have proof that he's alive."

"What?" Damien gasped. "Where is he? Can we go see him?"

"Yeah, Damy, we can." Ben choked on his own words and Harry dropped from the back of the chair and smoothly morphed into his human shape again.

"Damy?" Harry's own words choked instantly as he felt his eyes glistening again. Harry swore that Damien was going to faint as the thirteen year old span on his heels to face Harry.

"Harry?" Damien took a step backwards away from him but found his movement arrested when he slammed straight into Ben's solid form. Ben wrapped his arms around Damien softly and Damien's own hands came up to rest on them. "This can't be, it's a trick. You can't be Harry!"

Harry stepped forwards again and stopped right in front of Damien who was only about an inch shorter than him. "It's me, Damy." Harry reached up with his hands and touched the back of Damien's hands which twisted to grip his own. "No trick, no lie." Harry assured him.

"It's you?" Tears were streaming down his cheeks and Harry couldn't speak to answer him as his heart tore yet again at the pain he had caused his brothers by leaving all those years ago.

"It's really him, Damy." Ben spoke quietly and could only just release their younger brother as he launched himself forwards and into Harry who staggered backwards as he was hugged. Damien buried his head into Harry's shoulder and started shaking furiously as his legs refused to hold his weight anymore. Harry staggered slightly under the extra weight but knew he couldn't hold Damien up for long.

"Benji, I can't hold him." Harry told him finding that he could no longer speak mentally. Ben got the hint and encircled them both from behind Damien and lifted Damien's weight off of Harry even as he hugged them both.

"Damien, you have to let go now and we can sit down and talk." Ben whispered in Damien's ear but Damien just shook his head against Harry's shoulder as he continued to sob.

"It's ok, Damy, you don't have to let go, just let me sit down before I collapse." Harry chuckled slightly even through his own tears but it seemed to work as Damien eased up and let Harry sit down before he collapsed on the bed next to him and hugged Harry's side.

Harry felt a twinge in his chest that he knew wasn't to do with his emotions and forced one of his hands into his jacket pocket for his pills. He popped the lid and manoeuvred himself so he could pop two pills in his mouth and swallow them. The motions weren't lost on Damien though as he pulled back and wiped at his eyes just as Ben had done the night before. "What are those?" He asked.

"Pain pills so my pain isn't too bad and so it doesn't pass over to Benji." Harry explained truthfully.

"So you're still ill?" Damien look lost and deeply hurt.

"Yeah, Damy." Harry sighed. "The Muggle's medicine is better at keeping the pain away but they can't cure it either. That's why I was a Phoenix, it takes away the pain and keeps me from dying."

Harry pulled back and shucked off his jacket and t-shirt in the warm room before heaving himself back against the headboard. Ben hopped over the bed to sit on the other side and Damien rested himself against both of them after shedding his dressing gown. "It's nice to be back here again." Harry smiled getting both of their attentions. "Though if I remember it correctly, you used to jump all over me every morning when Ben brought you to visit me."

Damien looked around with a horrified look on his face and Harry twisted his head to kiss him on the forehead and was relieved when Damien's tears stopped. "You'll never know how much I wanted to come back since I left Damy and I've always loved you. Both of you."

"Let's get under the covers so I can sleep." Ben grumbled. With a bit of rummaging and in Harry's case undressing so he was in the same clothes as Ben they got under the duvet and Harry turned onto his side to face Damien who had his back up against Ben's front so that the three of them could fit easily into the bed. Neither brother seemed to mind the close proximity and Harry knew they had to become very close to cope with his loss.

"Ben and I spent the whole of last night talking but he didn't sleep on the train." Harry explained as Ben's arm snaked around Damien's front to hold him to himself. Harry lay back on his own back in front of Damien and his younger brother snuggled up to his side. In that way with Ben asleep and Harry comfortable for the first time in his life he and Damien talked about everything about their lives until they were both so tired they fell asleep. Harry fell asleep for the first time in his life with a smile on his face and his arms around the two people he loved the most in life.

His brothers.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	5. Filling the Void

Birth of a Phoenix

Chapter 5; Filling the Void

****

The next morning

Harry woke first but wasn't in the least bit surprised. He had always woken up earlier than the other children in the orphanage and on some cases he was in the local town long before the others woke up, on days that he didn't have to go to school that was. For a hazy moment he tried to work out which day it was, whether it was a weekend where he went to town to meet Nick or a weekday when he'd have to go to school and be picked on for his small size or his weak state.

It wasn't until he felt a warm tickle at his neck that he realised that he wasn't in his normal place in the orphanage dorm, for one thing he didn't sleep in only underwear there, nor did he normally have somebody resting on his chest. His eyes widened slightly and his breath caught as he remembered that he was in Potter Manor but more importantly that he was in the same bed as his two brothers. Harry lifted his head to gaze down at the red haired head lying on his chest and he smiled at Damien before looking around for Ben.

He turned his head to the left and found Ben's face only a few inches from his. His older brother was still holding Damien around the chest but they'd moved into a position so that Ben and Harry could easily knock heads. It took him a while to realise that his red streaked black haired brother was slowly waking up and Harry watched with a small smile on his face as Ben's brown eyes met his on green ones and then waited patiently to be recognised before Ben smiled back at him.

"What time is it?" Ben asked him.

"Not a clue, really early probably. The sun's only been up for an hour or so." Harry told him, for some reason he always knew how far the sun was from the horizon.

"My watch is on the bedside cabinet." Ben told him.

"No it isn't." Harry grinned mischievously.

"Yes it is, it's always there, I always put it there when I go to bed." Ben frowned at Harry as if his twin brother was simply teasing him.

"No you didn't, you dumped it on your cloths in the middle of the floor." Harry grinned back.

"Did I?" Ben sounded shocked.

Harry nodded. "I don't think you were thinking straight."

Ben groaned slightly and the rumbling movement seemed to wake Damien who bolted upright before glancing around at his brother's room. "Huh?" He shook his head and sagged slightly. "Wait!" He began looking at every point of the room as if searching for something. "Please don't let that be a dream!"

Harry felt the smile fade from his lips at Damien's desperate tone and without a single pause he pushed himself upwards so that he could hug Damien's back to his chest. He rested his head on his younger brother's chin. "Hi, Damy."

"Benji!" Damien tried to struggle around to check that it wasn't simply a very harsh trick being played him. "This better not be a trick."

Harry simply held tight and let his own head fall to the side to rest against Damien's ear knowing that Ben was already pulling himself out of the side of the bed and too his feet. "Give me some credit Damien, I've never joked about Harry before."

Damien forced his head to the left and away from Harry's own so that he could see Ben standing to the side of the bed and he relaxed slightly. Harry tightened his grip around his torso. "Sorry, Ben." Damien sighed. "I just thought it was all a dream."

"I know." Ben smiled at him sadly before flinging open the curtain and letting light pour into the heavily shadowed room. Harry squinted and groaned slightly. Damien chuckled at Harry's discomfort so Harry did the only thing he could think of for revenge. He twisted his grip to drop Damien to the side and then began tickling his way up under his younger brothers t-shirt.

Ben laughed at the sight as Damien began to laugh and giggle hysterically and finally Harry withdrew though not because he wanted. He rolled over to the bedside cabinet and quickly swallowed two tablets to prevent the niggling feeling in his chest from becoming an actual pain.

"How long is it safe to stay like this?" Ben got serious very quickly as Harry flopped backwards onto the bed and by accident ended up with his head on Damien's newly exposed stomach. He had been slightly shocked by both of his brother's forms, neither of them were body builders but they obviously kept in shape. Harry himself was rather lithe but he still had well toned muscles even if they were weak. Running and swimming had been necessary in order to keep him out of a permanent wheelchair and since he couldn't put on fat, building muscles had been the only way to keep from wasting away.

"Safe?" Harry frowned. "I need about twelve hours as a Phoenix to undo a month's worth of damage as a human, it doesn't matter whether that's taken in half hour slots or all at once."

Ben wasn't fooled by his evasion and neither it seemed was Damien who was the one to speak. "You didn't answer the question, who long in one go?"

"What you're asking is how long do I have left to live without my Phoenix form." Harry told them. "To be honest I don't really know. The meds don't really prolong it only take away the symptoms. I suppose if I didn't take Phoenix form I would have about three, maybe four months."

Ben gaped at him in horror before sliding next to him on the bed. "That short?"

"I'm sorry, Benji, but if Nick hadn't suggested becoming an Animagus I'd probably have died a long time ago and if it hadn't been a Phoenix it wouldn't have regenerated my body. Since I'm a Phoenix Animagus my body constantly heals itself every time I'm in that form so I've got an indefinite time left. I think."

"That's good enough for me!" Damien announced before pushing himself up forcing Harry to do the same. "I need a shower."

"Yes you do." Ben commented with a sly grin. Harry chuckled wishing yet again that he hadn't missed so much.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

****

Later

Harry glided slowly through the air across Potter Manor's lawn that had rough outline of a Quidditch pitch drawn on it with rope. Damien and Ben flew around him on their brooms as they tossed a non-magical baseball between them. Harry knew that Ben was on the Quidditch team at Hogwarts but he had never seen him fly though Nick had shown him the article. Thoughts of the article made him remember the fact that it, and everything else he had about his brother, was in Nick's study and that he had been effectively missing now for three days and he wondered if the local police had already given up looking for him.

Harry dodged as Ben threw the ball at him and he slipped over in the air before diving down at his older brother forcing him to miss the ball as he tried to catch it. Harry instead used his momentum to catch the ball in his talons and began winging his way towards the Manor for lunch knowing that if his brothers didn't stop playing they would go without.

"Hey!" Ben yelled after him.

__

'It's lunch time and I'm hungry.' Harry told him.

__

'Why are you hungry?' Harry paused in his flight and glided as he heard Damien's mental voice in his head.

__

'Hey!' Ben yelled in his head. _'I heard Damy!"_

'How is that possible?' Damien asked.

__

'Maybe because you are both linked to my mind.' Harry suggested. _'And I'm hungry because I spent the whole night as a human and only ate barely enough to fill my stomach as a bird!'_

'Oh.' Was Ben's rather gob smacked response to go along with Damien's real life chuckle.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Harry spent most of the day tagging along with his brothers and even changed back into a human to watch the two do their homework as he lay on the bed in a half daze. It felt strange to lounge around like that with his two brothers just a few feet from him but it surprised him just how comfortable he felt with them. They had no reservations around each other like normal brothers did. They weren't embarrassed to catch each other in the shower, they talked about everything, even joked about their experience with girls which Harry realised wasn't all that much. Damien had admitted that everybody knew about Harry going missing and that Ben allowed no rumours about his younger twin to spread and because of that people were wary around both of them. They were a unified force and that had the negative side affect that it was hard to make friends with anyone, even those that weren't after the fame.

He lay on the bed as the last light faded from the window as the sun set. Damien sat beside him after shoving his homework away into a draw. "Are you finished?"

"Can't really finish an essay when it's this dark." Damien shrugged. "There isn't many lights in our bedrooms."

Harry snorted softly and muttered something about electrical lighting that Damien didn't catch. Harry sized his brother up for a moment before tentatively reaching over and slowly grabbing his hand in his own. It felt strange to be so forward and needy of contact after so long avoiding contact at the orphanage but Damien's instant smile soothed his nerves completely and he snuggled into his younger brother's side as Damien compromised by laying flat out on the bed. Harry reversed the position of that morning by resting his head on Damien's chest and shut his eyes to listen to the steady beat of his brother's heart.

He could hear Ben shuffling around the room trying to be quiet as Damien drew slow circles in Harry's back and Harry might have actually fallen asleep if things hadn't gone downhill so fast.

The door flung itself open after only a short knock and Harry reacted without thinking about it. Half way through the transformation he concentrated on transporting himself out of the room along with anybody touching him and before his mother could make out which of her two sons was lying on the bed there was a rush of flame and Harry and Damien vanished.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Harry reappeared in a storm of fire and had to instantly flare his wings into a hover though Damien was dropped unceremoniously to the flat roof two feet below them. Harry regained his bearings as he landed gracefully on his younger brother's chest.

__

'That was close.' He commented mildly.

"Ouch." Damien intoned though there was a small amount of humour in his voice. "Was bringing me with you really necessary? Was transporting necessary for that matter?"

Harry looked down at his brother's face in amusement though he was still recovering from the shock of almost being seen by his mother. _'I don't know but I wasn't going to take the risk.'_

'Harry!' Ben's voice screamed into both their heads and they both winced slightly. _'Are you ok?'_

'We're on the roof.' Damien told him eldest brother dryly. They heard a chuckle in their minds. _'Is mum still in the room?'_

'No.' Ben told them. _'She just wanted to tell us that she and dad were going to Sirius' for a few hours.'_

Harry shrugged off the strange feeling of suddenly remembering somebody you'd rather forget. Sirius and Remus both had decided to side with their parents when it came to deserting Harry and he had no desire to see either of them any time soon. Harry transported them both back into the room. _'Opps.' _He muttered apologetically as Damien dropped onto the floor again from the same height as before. Harry was simply used to transporting to a specific height.

Ben laughed outright for a moment even as Damien swore under his breath about having gits for older brothers. Harry leant down and licked at Damien's nose playfully before hopping over to Ben as Damien swung himself up for retaliation. Ben bent down and grabbed Harry from the floor and lifted him up to his shoulder where Harry settled.

__

'I'm not used to taking passengers. I keep forgetting that distance to the ground matters to you two.' Harry told them as he ducked his head.

"You just need practice." Ben assured him. "Just don't drop us from a thousand feet."

Harry blanched before hiding his head under his right wing. He heard Damien laugh before he felt fingers running over his wing. He lifted his head to see Damien smiling at him with forgiveness in his eyes. "Where's 'Cacia and Crissy?" Damien asked his human brother.

"In mum's study doing their homework, we supposed to go keep them busy and then make sure they get to bed before eleven." Ben sighed.

__

'Yay. Let's go play with the kiddies.' Harry announced with not a small amount of sarcasm. The other two weren't fooled though and gave him amused looks showing that they knew he did actually want to use the opportunity to see his twin sisters. They headed out of the room and Harry turned back to more serious matters. _'She didn't see me did she?'_

"Nah." Ben told him seriously. "I told her off for slamming the door open and for scaring you into leaving and she seemed to accept that that was why you left. She didn't see you in human form though but you were still half human when you left."

__

'Really?' Harry twitched in confusion. _'That's new.'_

"Why is that strange?" Damien asked.

"Phoenixes use an enormous amount of energy to transport themselves, that's why they can take so many passengers and travel through wards like Harry just did." Ben told them both seriously and both brothers looked at the eldest in shock that he knew all of this. "What? I read a lot!"

"Dweeb." Damien spoke as he coughed to cover it. Harry decided to stay quiet since he knew all of this too and he was currently using Ben as a taxi service.

"Anyway." Ben exaggerated the words. "Not only is it strange that Harry can even be a magical Animagus but to tap into that power when not in full Phoenix form is amazing."

"What else can you do?" Damien asked suddenly.

__

'Umm…' Harry paused. _'After the tournament was the first time I've healed somebody or felt the evil in somebody. I can also do that singing thing but only by accident, it's like forcing an emotion across to whoever is listening. As for transporting myself I've been able to do that for about a year now.'_

"Cool." Damien muttered and both Harry and Ben gave him looks filled with amusement. "What? It is!"

As they walked through the house Damien began to fidget and Harry eventually got impatient. _'What!?'_

Damien jumped about a foot in the air and Ben chuckled at his youngest brother's expense. "Do you think I could learn to be an Animagus?" Damien asked after several false starts.

__

'I could teach you how but not everyone has a form and even if you do you might not have the power to take it. It depends on what it is.' Harry told them both making sure that Ben knew that he could learn too. _'Bare in mind it's supposed to impossible to become a magical Animagus, accepting myself it seems.'_

"When can we start?" Damien asked.

__

'As soon as you two get the ingredients for the Animagus identification potion.' Harry told them.

"Ack!" Ben said as Damien groaned. "Not potions."

__

"It's probably a good thing that I'm probably better than your teacher at potions then if you two suck at them." Harry told them with amusement.

"What?" Ben asked trying to twist his head to look at Harry. "How can you be as good as Snape?"

__

"Probably better." Harry amended in amusement. _'Don't forget, just because I can't cast magic doesn't mean I can't do things like potions and I was taught by the best Potions maker in history for ten years. I'm a natural at them. I think it half comes from being a Phoenix but we never worked out why."_

Ben and Damien just looked at him in confusion and Harry's laughing echoed in their heads all the way to their mother's study where they found the two sisters fighting with cushions from the sofa.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The next day went in a similar manner. Harry hung around his brothers and this time his sisters too since they insisted and his parents were wrapped up in their own worlds about something. Harry didn't give it much thought and instead enjoyed the day of learning about his two sisters and their similarities and more importantly their differences. He still had no trouble distinguishing between the two regardless of the fact they tried to confuse him and he figured that he was right in the fact that he could tell them apart because Ben could tell them apart.

It was a nice feeling to have proof that he really did fit into this family, at least the children of it. Having proof of his twin bond made him happier than anything ever had at the orphanage.

Dinner that evening was a tense affair. His mother had made an attempt to stop him from stealing from his sibling's plates by asking the House Elves to bring up a plate of berries to eat but Harry decided to be unfair and whilst taking bits out of his own little glass bowl he stole pasta from Damien's plate regardless of his brother's impending irritation.

"Oh Ben, we've got some news for you. We spoke to Alb…Headmaster Dumbledore, this morning." Their father said after half of the meal had passed in near silence. "He wants to visit and begin teaching you a few things."

"Why?" Ben asked.

"Well…" James stammered before glancing at Lily desperately.

"We think that with You-Know-Who back it would be best to ensure that you have a way to protect yourself from anybody who might want to hurt you." Lily told him seriously.

"What about Damien?" Ben asked. "I mean, 'Cacia and Crissy will be safe here but Damien will be a target at Hogwarts just as much as I will."

Lily glanced at James and Harry stepped sideways so he could nudge at Damien's shoulder knowing that talk about him being a target was upsetting him. "We'll have a talk with the Headmaster and see what he thinks."

"Even if he says no I'll teach him anything that the Headmaster teaches me." Ben declared. "So he might as well just teach Damien too."

"I don't think that you teaching your brother would be a good idea, Benjamin." James told him sternly.

"So what?" Ben retorted. "I'll still do it."

"I'm sure that Phoenix will be able to protect him." James argued back.

"But he won't always be around." Ben told them finally.

"Have you thought of a name for him yet?" Lily asked in an attempt to change the topic to something more light-hearted.

__

'Don't do it, Benji.' Harry said as he saw the rebellious glint to his older brother's eyes. _'Pick something other than Harry. It doesn't really matter what.'_

"I don't know yet." Ben shrugged.

Dinner passed quietly for a few more minutes before Lily spoke up again. "Molly told me that she'd be happy for you to spend the second to last week at the Burrow, Ben." Ben snapped his head up with a big smile on his face. "I agreed to let Ron come here for the last week and Hermione's parents agreed to do the same. It seems that they are spending the last week abroad but won't return until the week after Hogwarts starts again."

"We'll organise a visit to Diagon Alley for school supplies between the two weeks, so you can meet us there and all come back here with us." James told them. "We've promised to put Ron and Hermione safely on the Hogwarts Express on September first."

"Really?" Ben asked forgetting his annoyance at his parents from earlier. "That's brilliant. Can Damien come too? Ron's older brothers like him enough."

Lily looked at Damien with a glint in her eyes that worried Harry slightly though it obviously wasn't dangerous. "I could always ask Molly and I'm sure Ginny would welcome the company."

Damien groaned aloud before James spoke up. "I don't think that the Phoenix should go too though. We don't want Molly and Arthur to have to worry about it around their children. We've already seen how it reacts to Ron and Hermione."

"Then I'm staying here with him." Damien announced before Ben could do the same. After everything that had happened Ben needed some time with his best friends.

"Can I meet Ron and Hermione in Diagon Alley before that though. Hermione said she wanted to take us around Muggle London to see the sights." Ben asked pleadingly.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Lily told him.

"But you let us go to Diagon Alley last year. What about if we promise to stay in Diagon Alley and around the Wizards?" Ben asked. "I'm sure her parents could keep an eye on us."

Harry hopped across the table to settle in front of his mother seeing the concern there. She wasn't concerned about London but Diagon Alley but it wasn't concern over Voldemort either. _'She's hiding something. They are worried about you finding out something if you go to Diagon Alley. They've been worried about it all day.'_ Harry told Ben seriously as Lily went rigid.

"Excuse me." Ben announced before standing after finishing his meal. Harry turned to look at him and saw he looked strange to Harry. He flared his wings just as Damien stood and settled on his younger brother's shoulder and after trilling a goodbye to Acacia and Crisanta they left the room.

"What's up with him?" Damien asked referring to Ben who had vanished up to the West Wing rather rapidly. Harry shrugged his wings and nipped lightly on his younger brother's ear. Damien ruffled his feathers and laughed at Harry's indignant squawk. As soon as they stepped into a room next to Ben's with a plaque declaring it as Damien's and the door closed fully Harry jumped off of Damien's shoulder and morphed back to human. He instantly spun on the surprised Damien and stepping in close and ruffled his younger brother's hair.

"See if you like it twerp!" Harry told him as Damien tried to dodge. Harry continued his abuse of his little brother by beginning to tickle him again like he had that morning.

"Alright! I'm sorry!" Damien cried between gulps for breath.

"Just remember who's the older one here!" Harry announced with a grin.

"Ben?" Damien asked rebelliously.

Harry groaned in mock horror before looking around the room. It was the same size as Ben's with a double bed pushed up against the corner so you could only access it from the one side or over the foot board. The room was painted a dark red colour and had a plush carpet spread over the floor. Muggle model Aeroplanes hung all across the ceiling and Harry smiled at them for a moment before looking at a framed photo on the side of the bed. He crossed over to it as Damien recovered from laughing and lifted it up.

It was a non-magical photo of Damien, Ben and himself taken just before Harry had vanished. Damien had been obsessed with Muggle things and his parents had collapsed to his demands for a Muggle Camera which Damien had then forced Ben to use to take a timed picture of the three of them sitting in Harry's bed with Ben on one side and Damien sitting on Harry's lap. They were all smiling with their arms around each other. Harry smiled as his eyes became wet.

He felt arms crawl around his waist before tightening around him. He turned in their grip and hugged Damien back. "We…I really missed you." Damien told him.

"You can't have really remembered me." Harry protested.

Damien pulled back slightly. "I knew you were supposed to be there. I always knew that Benji was half of two and I always had that photo of us. I tried to be you for Ben but it never worked."

Harry pulled Damien back to him and they rested their chins on each other's shoulders as Harry squeezed his younger brother. "I'm back now." He whispered and felt Damien nod enthusiastically.

"Where are you staying tonight?" Damien asked.

Harry came up short since he hadn't thought about it. He didn't really mind whose bed he stayed in. "I don't know. I want to go check on Ben though. He seemed worried about something."

"I'm going to go take a shower then we can all stay together again tonight and decide tomorrow where you want to stay." Damien told him.

"Yes Sir." Harry laughed before ducking away through the bathroom to find his older brother.

Ben was standing on his balcony with his back to the room and Harry slid silently through the almost pitch black room and up behind his brother. He copied Damien's actions from a minute ago and hugged Ben's back and rested his cheek against Ben's shoulder blade since he wasn't really tall enough to rest his chin on his shoulder.

Ben tensed up for an instant before calming down. "Hey." He spoke in a whisper as if Harry would vanish if he spoke too loudly.

"What's the matter, brother?" Harry asked just as quietly.

"I don't know, it's just everything is happening at once." Ben sighed and dropped his head down to look at the floor. Harry leaned up and kissed the back of Ben's neck before letting go and sliding around to lean against the Balcony railing in front of his older twin.

"Good or bad?" He asked though he already knew the answer but it would help for Ben to talk about it.

"Both." Ben sighed. "First there was being entered into the tournament and then everyone thinking I was some sort of attention seeking child because of it. Then the whole thing with Voldemort and now these lessons with Dumbledore to protect myself and Damien when we go back to Hogwarts and then there is the fact that mum and dad are hiding something from me in particular. Whatever is stopping them from letting us go to London."

"And the good?" Harry prompted before Ben could be allowed to forget about it.

Ben smiled at Harry warmly and with true happiness in his eyes. "I'm glad you chose to come back now, I don't think I could cope with all of this without you here to help." The happy look vanished and a hidden pain emerged from the depths of Ben's brown eyes.

"I'm glad I'm back too." Harry assured him. "There isn't anywhere that I'd rather be."

They stood in silence for a moment as Harry turned to look out over the garden to the high visage of Scafell Pike just visible as a black mass blocking the stars from view. Ben leaned on the railing beside him and hunched down onto his elbows and let his head drop again. Harry leaned to the side and rested himself lightly on Ben's shoulder though he didn't put much weight on him.

"I'm scared." Ben whispered almost in a sob that Harry barely heard. Harry tensed before standing back up again.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I don't know what to do. He's too powerful for me and he's going to be coming after me with everything he's got. He'll kill me and I'm scared." Ben sobbed again though the sobs were becoming more prominent. "I'm just a coward."

Harry reached forwards and grabbed Ben's left elbow where it lay on the railing and yanked it to force Ben to straighten up and face him. Harry stepped right into his chest and cupped the side of his neck. "You're not a coward, Ben!" Harry snapped. "Anyone would be scared if they were in your position. Hell they are all more scared of him then you are and it's you he wants."

Ben just let his head drop again and Harry brought his own head to rest against Ben's and he encircled his older brother with his arms. Ben felt a slight purring spread through Harry's body but was too miserable to comment on it but just let it warm him through anyplace Harry was touching him. Harry continued. "I saw the end of what happened at the Graveyard Benji, but you need to talk about it all. You need to share what happened."

"I already told Dumbledore everything I could remember." Ben argued through his choked voice.

Harry pulled back and dragged Ben into the bedroom and forced him to sit on the bed. Harry pulled a leg onto the bed and sat facing Ben's side. His form was shaking ever so slightly. "You didn't tell anybody about how you felt. He tortured you, Benji. You need to talk to me about it."

"I can't now." Ben's sobs finally became cries and tears flowed over his cheeks. Harry sighed and pulled Ben's shaking form against him and he pulled himself back to the pillows and lay down. He shed himself of his shirt before letting Ben collapse into his side with his head on his chest as he finally allowed the emotions of that night to overwhelm him as his tears leaked out onto Harry's warm skin. It was another five minutes and Ben was still crying freely when Damien walked into the room in only his boxers and saw Harry gently trying to sooth his eldest brother who was curled up letting himself rely on another stronger person for the first time in years.

He made his way over to the bed and at Harry's prompting he helped them both to strip down to their boxers so they wouldn't have to move in the middle of the night before he pulled the covers over them both and slipped into the bed to curl up behind Ben who was finally beginning to fall asleep letting the warmth of his two brothers soak into his shivering body.

"I'll kill Voldemort myself before he can hurt either of you." Harry told them both quietly but only Damien heard him and grabbed Harry's free hand in his own.

"So will I." Damien's voice held such determination that Harry knew that Voldemort would be making a serious mistake in taking on the three of them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	6. Training with the best

Birth of a Phoenix

Chapter 6; Training with the best

****

The next morning

Harry awoke first and since it was the third night of waking up with his two brothers he wasn't in the least bit surprised. He did however feel rather too warm for his own good though after a moments thought he realised that it wasn't him that felt hot. He felt restricted too and had to wait for his eyes to adjust to the waking world before he could find out why. Damien was spooned against his left side but Benjamin was in an awkward position. He'd worked his way almost completely on top of Harry and had trapped Harry's right arm between their chests. He'd also managed to wrap all of the blanket around him leaving Damien rather exposed to the draft from the open window.

It was then that Harry realised why he felt hot and now that he was awake he felt lethargic as well. Ben was burning up and had obviously not slept well even though he was asleep now. Harry knew that his body temperature always ran slightly cold and Ben had clearly been attracted to his cooler body during the night. Harry freed his left arm from between himself and his younger brother waking said brother in the process. He muttered a half sincere apology before lifting the arm and placing his hand against Ben's forehead.

Under normal circumstances it should have felt hot but Damien had unknowingly insulated his limb so the reading was more accurate. Even so Ben was very hot to Harry's hand. "You better go get mum or dad, Damien. Tell them Ben's got a fever or something."

Damien looked at him blearily but didn't question his older brother and slipped out of bed and through to his own room presumably for his dressing gown. Harry slowly twisted himself out from under his older brother laying the bigger boy properly on his bed before pulling the sweaty blankets away from him. Harry would have to have a shower at some point since he could feel his brother's sweat against him and even though he didn't mind and the sweat wouldn't carry over to his Phoenix form it still felt unpleasant. Taking a shower now though was tantamount to disaster so instead he leaned over and kissed his brother on the forehead.

Ben stirred ever so slightly but Harry's gentle murmuring sent him back to sleep. Harry rolled out of bed. Dressed quickly in his cloths and slipped effortlessly into his Phoenix form so he didn't add any strain because of his physical condition to Ben's own condition. He flew across the room and settled on the headboard above his brother's head to watch over him and began to sing awkwardly as he brought up feelings of comfort to try to bring them across in his song. It seemed to work as his brother relaxed slightly without waking. Satisfied Harry simply waited out the few minutes it took for his mother to cross the Manor following a now clearly awake and worried Damien.

They banged through the door and Harry saw Damien relax slightly after seeing Harry perched as a bird and not in bed as a human. Harry chirped worriedly since he couldn't help it and Lily was across the room in half a second feeling Ben's forehead just like Harry had expected. She did a few other tests using her hands before pulling her wand and doing a seventh year diagnostics spell. She frowned before turning to Damien.

"Do you have any fever reducing potions in your school trunk?"

"Mum." Damien whined. "That's fourth year."

"Does your brother?" She almost snapped but softened her voice at the last instant.

Harry couldn't believe how stupid he felt. He had a fever-reducing potion zipped into his jacket's inside pocket along with a few other potions which substituted for his muggle-medicine in case he ran out or wanted to supplement it without overdosing. He realised that he couldn't have used it without alerting his parents to an unknown person in their house anyway and he relaxed slightly. "This is Ben we're talking about. He's terrible at potions, you think they'd let him keep what he makes."

Lily chuckled slightly before casting a cooling charm around the bed since it was unsafe to do so on an actual person since the shock would probably send them into a coma. "Keep an eye on him while I go and get a potion from the stores and then I'll call Madam Pomfrey and see if she's available."

"Ok, mum." Damien nodded and bounced up onto the side of the bed and tested Ben's temperature with himself. Their mother slipped out of the room and Harry instantly flew from his perch and changed back into his human form. He sat on the edge of the bed and ran the same tests his mother had. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing my Phoenix form can heal." Harry told him. "I can sense if I can."

"So he isn't ill?" Damien frowned.

"Honestly I think it's the situation more than anything else." Harry frowned before placing a tender hand over his older brothers chest. "You saw how he was before he fell asleep last night. His head's all over the place, he's scared out of his wits, worried about you, worried about my health." Harry swallowed thickly.

"We'd rather worry about your health and have you here then still be without you." Damien didn't even need to pause before assuring Harry.

"Thanks, Damy." Harry sighed. "I think this is a rather strange reaction to everything that has happened. Even if it's a good thing that I'm back it's still brought us lots of tears and brought our emotions to the front. With everything else that has been happening its just been too much for him."

"So a fever-reducer should help?" Damien asked.

Harry slipped his hand into the inside of his jacket and brought out a small lightly blue coloured potion in a small 25cc vial. "If only I could give him this one without letting them know." Harry smiled sadly. "Is Madam Pomfrey good?"

Damien tore his eyes from the vial as it was slipped back into his pocket. "She's the best."

"Good," Harry smirked. "I won't bite her then."

Damien laughed and Harry smiled at him before standing and slipping into his bird form. He ducked forwards and pushed his head up against Damien's elbow like a cat would and was rewarded when his little brother itched the back of his neck. The door opened and their mother walked into the room. She left the door open as she crossed the room but eyed Harry before approaching. Harry backed off of Ben's stomach in favour of Damien's lap to clearly get across that he was allowing her presence for Ben's sake.

She checked Ben over again before slipping a potion between his lips and rubbing his throat to make him swallow. They sat there for a time before James walked into the room with the healer that he had seen on the Quidditch pitch when Ben had been slashed by that curse at the graveyard. She bustled passed the two adults and began running diagnostic spells.

"Well." She hummed to herself as she thought over the results. "There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him apart from his temperature." The three adults took a step back as Harry jumped up off of the blanket and onto Ben's chest and settled down comfortably. They eyed him for a moment but Damien just chuckled.

"Can't we do anything?" Lily asked.

"Only give him a new dose of fever-reducer when this one wears off." The healer told them both. "As far as I can tell it's a magical reaction to stress. We all know the poor child is going through enough. I've seen the same thing with NEWT students but never quite this extreme. They get upset stomachs or headaches but never something like this. We can't really judge it by those standards though and I've heard of numerous cases this bad in ST. Mungo's, especially in the Auror Ward."

"Thank you, Poppy." James spoke up for the first time. "Would you like a cup of tea or some breakfast before you return to Hogwarts?"

"I'd love a small breakfast if it isn't too much trouble." She smiled gratefully.

"Is it safe for the Phoenix to stay there in Ben's current condition?" Lily asked before the two could leave the room.

"I don't see any harm in it. If anything it will help sooth Benjamin's magic and heal him faster. The fact the Phoenix hasn't done anything to heal him itself means there isn't anything we can really do." The healer told her with a sad smile. "Let it stay where it is. Phoenixes are remarkable, it'll probably absorb some of the heat from the fever as well."

__

"Tell me about it." Harry laughed to Damien. _"Ben's hot enough to cook me."_

"Does that mean we're having roast chicken for dinner?" Damien smirked.

Harry spun his head on the boy as the three adults left the room with final instructions to Damien and a promise to return with breakfast for the two after they had had their own and woken the twins. _"Do you remember what happened when that Weasley called me a pigeon?"_

"You'd hurt your own brother?" Damien smirked as he switched to vocals.

Harry pounced from Ben's chest and changed into his human form even as he toppled into his little brother and pinned him to the bed to tickle him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

It was a week into the two month holiday and four days after Ben had fallen ill before Lily pronounced him fully restored to health and allowed him to move about as he would have done but only after getting a promise out of him that he would tell her the instant that he felt ill. Harry and Ben had had plenty of time to talk in the four days enforced bed rest and Harry had gotten his older brother to talk to him about all of his pent up emotions and about the bout of torture that he had endured.

As irony would have it they spent the first two days of Ben renewed freedom indoors since Britain decided to keep with its track record of miserable summer weather and the Manor's ground were flooded with rainfall that was even enough to stop Harry from stretching his wings. They decided on a name for Harry's Phoenix form after Lily and James protested that since they were having to house the 'infernal bird' they could at least maintain their dignity in front of guests and have a name to refer to it as. They settled on the name Eridanus or Eri for short. Eridanus was the Celestial River, a constellation that directly linked Orion, the greatest human hunter, with the Phoenix Constellation.

Harry had simply allowed his brothers to name him but wasn't disappointed by the name. He thought it had a sly underpinning to it. Harry was the thing between human and Phoenix. One day he'd be able to tell people that it was poetic irony though he hoped it wouldn't be too soon.

Sunday lunch brought them their first piece of news about the upcoming lessons with Headmaster Dumbledore. Supposedly they had been put off because of Ben's sudden illness and regardless of Lily's arguments that Ben's fever was proof that he shouldn't be put through any additional stress she was overridden by James, Ben and Damien. Interestingly enough though their parents agreed to allow Damien to sit in on the lessons as long as he only attempted spells and magical arts that the Headmaster gave him permission to try and that Ben wouldn't attempt to teach Damien anything else out of the lessons without the headmaster's permission.

Ben and Damien agreed knowing that over the years the headmaster had come to realise that Damien took a sizeable chunk of the flak aimed at Ben and that wouldn't change now that Voldemort had a new body. It was with these agreements in mind that Ben, Damien and Eri arrived in the gym at eight o'clock in the evening of the second Sunday of their summer holidays.

"Good Evening boys." The aged Wizard greeted Ben and Damien as they entered the room before bowing slightly to Harry, or Eri. Harry laughed at the idea of Albus Dumbledore bowing to him. "I'm glad to see your new friend has remained with you, has he shown any signs of forming a bond with either of you?"

"Uh…" Ben glanced at Eri who was still on his shoulder. "Not really, Sir. He spends equal time with us both. Maybe if he can't bond with us both he'll just protect us both."

"Unfortunately that will mean he wont be able to protect you as efficiently without a bond to track." Dumbledore sighed. "Though he had no trouble finding you during the tournament. I cant claim to be all knowledgeable about Phoenixes though."

"His name's Eri." Damien put in with a small grin as he sat himself on one of his father's muggle weight benches.

"Eri?" Dumbledore frowned and Harry ruffled himself up in indignation at the slight on his new name.

"It's short for Eridanus, Sir." Damien explained.

"You named a Phoenix after a river?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in amusement having obviously seen part of the irony behind the name.

"A Celestial river, Sir." Damien corrected. "He seems to like it." Harry chirped happily to agree with his younger brother and flapped his wings slightly.

"So he does." Dumbledore smiled. "Eridanus it is then. Now how about we get down to business. I know you parents have forbidden you, Benjamin, to teach Damien anything I teach you specifically so for the purposes of these classes I've decided to only focus on things that will really give you an edge in any battle you may be thrown into."

"I don't understand, sir." Ben stated simply with a nervous glance at Damien.

"I'm sure you've heard of the Advanced Magic class that Professors Flitwick and McGonnagal teach to select seventh years." Dumbledore waited for a nod from both of them. "Well I plan to teach you exactly that, earlier then we would normally do in school."

"But aren't we a bit young for that, Sir?" Damien asked as he stood from his seat in surprise.

"There is no 'too young' when it comes to this type of magic, only 'too irresponsible' and we all know that the two of you are very mature boys for your respective ages." Dumbledore told them. "All the same I wont allow any slacking off in these classes and I expect you to spend time away from here practicing what I tell you but only what I tell you."

"Yes Sir." Both boy's spoke up with submissive nods.

"Excellent." Dumbledore clapped his hands happily before his serious expression faded behind a grin of eager anticipation. "In these classes I only aim to teach what I can teach to you both. New things that can be taught regardless of your year at Hogwarts. But I also want you to learn more advanced spells so I have decided to loan you both individual books on spells that I want you to steadily work through. One spell at a time until you can cast it and only spells from your own book. Benjamin's book covers everything in your own, Damien, so he can help you out if he has the time but if either of you become stuck on a particular spell then I expect you to seek your parents' help or my own."

He pulled two large tomes from a bag that had thus far gone unnoticed near his feet and handed them to the two boys. They were hand bound and hand written and Harry peeked a look and realised with a jolt that he could never forget the handwriting in either book. They were both co-written by Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel. He shook off the regret to worry about when the Headmaster of Hogwarts wasn't watching the three of them.

"At the start of each lesson you'll tell me what spells you have mastered and I'll test you to ensure you are not getting anything wrong." Dumbledore smiled. "I'll be here every Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday for as long as we need and you'll have another tutor on Monday mornings to teach you the Protronus charm and another tutor all day Wednesday and Friday to teach you duelling techniques. Other than that your mother has made me promise to make you have fun." He smiled that irritatingly twinkling smile. "Let's begin."

The two boys looked at each other in shock before rushing to place the two new books behind them against the wall so they wouldn't get damaged. "Now the first step for all of the magic I want to teach you is control of your Magical Core. To start with I only want you to find it and study it in every detail you can."

A thus the lesson began. He had the two sit at opposite ends of the gym on tackle mats and concentrate on nothing but their own bodies. Then down to only their heart beats before turning their attention only to the small pulse of magic that accompanied each heart beat and from there to backtrack the magical impulses to their source. It sounded far easier than it was in reality. Harry knew that from experience since it was one of the stages of becoming an Animagus and in fact Harry made a mental note to cut down the time it would take to train the two to be Animagi. The potion simply created a guardian around your Magical Core in the form of your Animagus form and then you could find it there and study it and its ties to your own body. In Harry's case, wing to arm, talon to toe and so on.

By eleven in the evening and their third hour of meditations they had managed to successfully block out everything in the outside world and turn their attention to their heart beats but they both got distracted too easily to be able to sense the magical waves. They were dismissed with a few final instructions. "I want you both to meditate whenever you find yourself with nothing to do. If you manage to find the magical pulses and backtrack them do not attempt to actually reach for your core, just study it."

"Thank you, Sir." Both boy's thanked him gratefully and Harry found himself warming to the old man very slightly. Nick had trusted the younger Wizard after all and whatever grievances Harry had with him because of his involvement in the Flamels' death couldn't come between Ben and Damien's security.

"Who do you think wrote these?" Damien asked on the way up to their rooms for the night. He waved his book extremely carefully to make sure his oldest brothers knew what he was talking about.

Harry felt another stab of pain run through him as the Phoenix added to his own feelings of a loss that had only happened less than ten days ago. "I don't know." Ben frowned as he studied his own tome. "There isn't any author written here or even a title."

"Wait, it's written by two people." Damien announced happily. "See the other type of writing here. I think these must be one of a kinds."

Harry leapt from Ben's shoulder and glided to the floor before morphing back into his human shape. He turned briefly to take in Damien's room from his renewed human perspective before turning his tear-streaked face back to his brothers who blanched as the newly lit wall sconce illuminated the tracks. "Harry?" Ben took a step towards him and moved to put the book on Damien's bed out of the way so he could hug his younger twin. Harry reached out and took the book and ran his hand over the familiar handwriting and started crying freely. "Harry? What's the matter?"

"These _are_ one of a kinds. I've seen the other two versions." Harry sighed. "One is a healer's guide and the other a potions one. These two are designed for exactly this situation. For young adults in dire need of accurate, fast paced training for survival. The only difference is that Damien's book doesn't include some of the harder spells, it's a warm up for Ben's book I suppose."

"Where did you see them?" Damien asked after placing his own book carefully on his desk.

Harry ignored him. "I learnt out of the Potions one but I had the co-authors at hand."

Ben gasped and stared at the book in Harry's hands which were shaking so much that Harry forced himself to relinquish the book and place it on the bed beside him before he sank down and cup his face in his now freed hands. "The Flamels?" Ben asked him and Damien gasped in the same way his eldest brother hand. Harry nodded even as his crying came out more freely. The sight of the books had made the deaths of his mentors and only friends and guardians all the more real since the books had been in the Flamel Library and must have been willed to either Hogwarts or Dumbledore. Harry felt the bed on both sides of him dip and two sets of arms wrapped around him. He turned his head to his right and dropped in onto one of his brother's chests and cried himself to sleep allowing his grief its much needed outlet.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Harry woke slightly confused at his surroundings since he had yet to actually sleep in his younger brother's bed. They'd all spent the first three nights in Ben's bed together and then after he had gotten ill Harry had stayed with him to help cool him off knowing that his body temperature would always be lower than Ben's and also since Ben seemed to calm from his restless sleeping patterns when Harry was there to hold him. Damien however had moved back to his own bed since sleep was impossible with a tossing and turning older brother in the bed. Harry had simply slept as Eri in the day.

This morning though he couldn't feel the vast amount of breeze provided by four open windows and a large open balcony door and the room was far darker then it would have been had it been Ben's room. He decided that since he was also not in the centre of the room he must therefore be in Damien's bedroom. The form he was tucked up against seemed to proof this though with his eyes still hazy he didn't know how he knew the difference between his two brothers. Damien had his back to Harry with his back against his older brother's chest. Harry's arms were securely fastened around him. Harry didn't mind that Ben wasn't there, it would have completed the nice feeling of waking up with his brothers but he could handle just having the one brother there.

Harry was just about to untangle himself and slip out of bed when there was a knock at the door. He thought it was Ben at the bathroom door for a moment before realising that the sound had come from the corridor door. There was another knock and Harry struggled to free himself so he could change into Eri.

"Crap! Damy, wake up!" His voice was barely above a whisper but it was right next to Damien's ear and it was full of a panic that woke his younger brother up in an instant. Instant waking or not though it wasn't fast enough to come to terms of what was happening before the door began to open. Damien, to his credit, didn't panic and simply reached behind him and tugged the duvet up high around them.

"Damien?" Lily's voice spoke. "Are you awake in here?"

"Mmm…" Damien grumbled sleepily not having to act in the least. Harry froze up knowing that he was caught and his anonymity and freedom was gone. They'd lock him in some room again and not let anyone near him and they'd use magic this time to keep him from escaping, they'd find a way to take away Eri and he'd die and his brothers would be sad.

"Good." Lily continued. "Oh, Ben." Harry's shaking limbs stilled in complete shock. She thought he was Ben. "Did you have a rough night again?" Her voice held such concern and love that Harry couldn't possibly hate her in that moment.

"He's still asleep." Damien told her and leaned his back into Harry's chest to calm him. Harry tightened his grip around his brother without his mother noticing and buried his head into the pillow beneath him. "I couldn't get to sleep last night."

"Are you feeling ok?" Lily asked. "Maybe you've got the same thing as Ben had." She crossed the room and Harry began to shake in fear that she would notice his and Ben's differences, like the lack of red streaks in his hair but it was too dark for her to notice something so small. She placed a hand on Damien's forehead but declared him normal, which Damien agreed with. "Well, tell Ben when he wakes up that Uncle Remus will be here at nine to start your lessons."

"Uncle Remus!" Damien half bolted up before realising that the action would inevitably expose Harry. "He's teaching us!" Harry couldn't help but smile in his faked sleep at the sound of excitement in his younger brother's voice.

"Yes, Damien. Now you two had better get up soon and get something to eat and I want you both to eat as much as you can. Casting the Patronus charm is no easy feet." She told him sternly.

"Yes mum." Damien told her and waited patiently as their mother left the room and closed the door tightly behind her. Her footsteps retreated down the hallway and down the stairs and Damien let out a sigh of relief. Harry collapsed onto his back and breathed out a shaky laugh. "Are you ok?"

"She thought I was Ben." Harry spoke rather hysterically. "I thought I was caught."

"Even if you were, me and Ben would never let them lock you up again." Damien announced before hugging Harry tightly. "We better go tell big bro what happened in case he wanders off downstairs and gives the game away from pure ignorance."

After they told a shocked Ben everything that had happened the three headed down for breakfast with Harry as Eri of course. They found Remus sitting at the table and Damien leapt onto him to hug the man. Obviously Damien really like his Uncle, Ben chuckled in amusement and reached up and stroked the feathers on Eri's chest.

"Good morning boys. And this must be Eridanus." Remus spoke up and reached out to stroke him. Harry lashed out and bit down solidly into the man's hand splitting skin from his index finger to his thumb. Remus actually growled in pain and recoiled in shock.

"It's not about you being a werewolf, Remus." James apologised to his friend even as he sent a nasty glare at Eri. "We don't know why it has a problem with adults."

"He likes us, Uncle Remus." Crisanta declared and Harry chirped in agreement and glided down in front of her to let her and her twin sister pamper him and feed him berries out of his little bowl.

Harry glanced victoriously at Remus who was healing the cut on his hand with his wand and a stream of spells to clean, close and seal the cut. _"Why did you attack, Uncle Remus?"_ Damien's voice was hurt and shaky even in Harry's head.

Ben sent Harry a solemn look but it was Harry that answered. _"Sirius is Ben's Godfather, Remus is mine…was mine. He agreed with mum and dad that it would be better for everyone to just lock me in my room and keep you two away from me."_

"What?" Damien's eyes widened and he glanced at his Uncle in horror. _"He wouldn't do that!"_

"He did do that, Damy. I'm sorry, but he and Sirius were different back then. They changed after Harry ran away." Ben assured him. _"I know they both regret it now but that doesn't change what they did to Harry back then."_

Damien spent the rest of the meal in silence as he was forced to deal with this new image of his favourite adult in the entire world. "How did your lesson with the Headmaster go yesterday boys?" James asked after a few moments of silence.

"Great I think." Ben said. "He's teaching us the stuff for Advanced Magic class. We're trying to see our magical cores at the moment."

James and Lily smiled and Harry knew that they were perfectly aware of what the Headmaster was teaching them. "Well if you run into any trouble then you can always ask either of us for help. Remember to pace yourselves, you've got all summer after all." James told them.

"Except for the last two weeks of course. The headmaster has given you those clear of his classes and you'll only continue Remus' lessons if you need to." Lily put it helpfully.

"Mum, why can't we go to Diagon Alley?" Ben asked a few minutes later.

"It's too dangerous, son." James said before Lily could open her mouth.

__

"They're lying again." Harry told them. It wasn't the same as detecting evil but he could tell the difference between deception easily enough if he was really listening for it.

"Why?" Ben pushed.

"With Voldemort back we just can't risk you being out in the open like that." Lily sighed.

"But has Voldemort actually done anything yet?" Damien put in with a frown.

"Well no, but it's only been ten days." James levelled them both a serious look.

"So, can we go to London with Hermione then?" Ben asked.

Lily seemed to actually think about this. "We'll have to think about it."

__

"She's lying again." Harry put in helpfully and with not a little bit of irritation. They were definitely hiding something from them and it wasn't entirely to do with Voldemort and whatever it was it had something to do with that impromptu trip to Sirius' house. If that was even where they had gone. Harry decided to follow them the next time.

"Can we at least go into Merthyr Tydfil?" Ben asked referring to the local Welsh town they lived near.

"Well I don't see why not, as long as you don't get into any trouble." Lily relented. "But I want you to wait till later in the summer, I want to see some progress with your lessons first."

"Yes mum." They chorused together before grinning at each other and finishing off their cooked breakfast.

"Right boys, let's get started. We're going to do this outdoors since it'll be easier to learn out there." Remus announced and looked warily at Eri before gesturing for the two to follow him.

The two walked outside and Harry let Crisanta and Acacia feed him a few more berries under Lily and James watchful gaze before he took off out of an open window and out to the front gardens where he could see Ben and Damien talking with Remus.

They spent all morning focusing on happy memories and trying to cast the spell. He knew by the thoughts that were leaking over to Harry that they were both focusing on the moment they found out he was still alive and by the end of the lesson Ben could create a silver mist from his wand but Damien could only get small silver sparks from his own. Harry had taken to settling on his younger brother's shoulder to boost his confidence but Harry didn't really think that was the problem. Damien's faith in Remus had been shaken, perhaps irrevocably and it was interfering with his ability to learn the spell.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The weeks passed in this way until the last week of July. On Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays they spent three or four hours after dinner with Dumbledore studying their magical cores and could now easily find them when needed though it still took concentration and meditation. Harry had been forced to admit that he could already do it with ease and even do what they were now learning; bringing the magical core out into the real world as an aura of power that could counter spells depending on their power. When Ben had first managed to bring his core magic out into the open it had formed a rich blue aura around him that reminded Harry of what Nick had told him about the night his brother and himself had survived the Killing Curse.

They had both instinctively brought forward their magical cores and combined them to deflect the spell. He explained this all to Ben and Damien and even consented to forming a protective bubble around himself which amazed both of his brothers as the shield formed around him. It seemed like two spheres of glass surrounded him with trapped flames crawling between them. The idea of combining their magic into a shield like the last time intrigued them both but they knew better than to simply try it without Ben knowing more about his own magic.

Damien had found his own core around the same time as Ben and had been able to bring the pale red glow out into the air around him. Harry was pleased with both of their progress and had started gathering the things he needed for the Animagus potion. It was hard going since the Flamel's potions cupboard had been cleared out but Harry had a good time stealing the ingredients out of the potions store at Hogwarts with the reasoning that he should have been allowed to go there all along and that somebody there had probably taken Nicolas Flamel's supply so it was fair in the long run. The potion would be finished just in time to return to Hogwarts and that would mean practicing at Hogwarts.

Lessons with Remus had progressed to the point where Damien, with Harry's on the side help, had created a thick silver mist which seemed to want to howl whereas Ben could create an almost solid barrier of silver light that sung to them pleasantly. Harry had a vague impression that Ben's form would be of Eridanus and Damien's would be a werewolf to match Remus since their bond was still strong even if Damien was avoiding all conversation with the man for the time being.

Sirius had appeared for their first duelling lesson and had started each day with a run around the Manor's grounds followed by drills and exercises before moving to teach them how to use the spells they already knew to win a battle no matter how ridiculous the spell was. He never taught them any new spells but asked them to tell him everything they learned from the book. All of the adults were impressed by their progress through the tomes and Damien, with Ben's help, had almost finished the beginner's guide and would soon start picking up his education with Ben's book. Ben however was only half way through the tome but Harry couldn't wait for the time when Ben finished it and could easily claim to know more spells then most Aurors.

Any other time they had was spent training their meditation, manipulating their cores and studying for school. Harry forced them to play around at least once a day and even went for a swim with them in the local river when their parents left for the day. It was two days before Ben and Harry's birthday when things started going wrong. Lily had given Ben and Damien permission to go into the local town to shop for presents for the year and for something to give to Mrs. Weasley when Ben went there on the second to last week of the year. Harry of course couldn't have gone even if wanted to since a Phoenix couldn't exactly fly around a muggle town without being seen and disillusioning spells didn't work on Phoenixes.

Harry instead spent the day playing in the garden with Acacia and Crisanta under the watchful eyes of Lily. He played throw and catch with them for quite a while, made them go inside to eat at lunch time and then went for a swim with them, as Eri of course. All the time he pondered whether he, Ben and Damien should tell them about him, but in the end he came to the same conclusion that he and his brothers had reached over the last four weeks. They wouldn't be able to keep his presence a secret from their parents so at least until they were at Hogwarts the year after next they'd have to stay out of the loop on that particular secret.

It was sunset when it happened. Harry felt a sudden sense of despair, cold and horror that made him call out a trill that conveyed all those things. He heard Crisanta and Acacia burst into tears overwhelmed as the feelings were conveyed to them and their mother who was on her feet in seconds. Harry burst into flames tracing his thrumming bond with Ben who was the one in pain. As soon as he arrived he sensed Damien's own horror, despair and cold reach out to him. He focused on every warm feeling he had and trilled out as he swooped through the unnatural darkness he had arrived in.

He could just make out his two brothers on the ground faced with a single Dementor that was closing in on them. Even as he watched, Ben struggled to his knees and lifted his wand. "Expecto Patronum!" He croaked out but nothing happened. Harry dived low over the Dementors head even as Ben saw him and collapsed to the side. Harry wheeled around and unfortunately the Dementor recognised him as an Animagus and focused its powers on him. But Harry wasn't interested in emotions just then, only on protecting his brothers. He might be physically weak, terminally ill, but that didn't mean he was defenceless.

He morphed back into his human form and instantly felt the warmth vanish and the light vanish into darkness. Ben and Damien cried out in horror at the loss of their last hope but Harry pulled his own wand from his inside pocket. One of Eri's tail feathers mixed with his own tears and human blood, encased in a Holly shaft. It was almost identical to his twins apart from it containing tears and human blood which made it perfect for healing magic and wards.

****

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry cried pulling up the moment in time that he had completed his Animagus training and learnt that he would live to be with his brothers again one day. Light flooded the road and the Dementor screeched in shock as it reared away from the light. The light dimmed to form a waist high panther shining with bright silver light. It took one look at Damien and Ben's prone forms and leapt through the air coming down between them and the Dementor. It chased it down the street before returning to Harry.

Harry collapsed between his brothers as they pulled themselves up to see him. Shock overrode their despair as they stared at the Corporeal Patronus. Their questions were interrupted however as Harry cried out in pain followed moments later by Ben. His chest seized up and Harry's breathing came in short desperate gasps. Despite the pain caused by casting magic with a wand, Harry managed one last burst of magic to direct the Patronus to seek help from their parents. It streaked into the North towards the Manor.

"Stop using magic, damn you!" Ben almost shouted as tears of hopelessness streaked down his face to mix with the tears of pain from feeling a part of Harry's pain.

"Have to make sure you're safe." Harry told them before focusing everything he had on Eri. His wand slipped from his fingers as his arms became wings and soon he was standing on the ground between his brothers as a Phoenix. Ben gasped in relief as the pain faded to just a memory.

__

"How do you know how to cast that?" Ben asked as he laid back down to rest his aching ribs.

__

"I lived with the Flamels for ten years, I can do a lot of spells but most I only know in theory since its too painful to justify the practice. The Patronus spell is worth the pain of knowing it flawlessly." And Harry was glad for every moment of that pain. _"I've read and learnt all of the spells in that book of yours but I haven't ever cast any of them. I do know some healing spells though but that's only for emergencies and if I can't change shape."_

"Where did that thing come from?" Damien asked in horror. _"It was a Dementor right?"_

"Yeah it was. You two are in need of chocolate." Harry told them simply. _"I don't know where it came from, only that it was really interested in you two. Somebody sent that for you."_

"Did you send your Patronus to mum and dad?" Ben asked.

__

"Yeah, it'll lead them here via apparition in a few minutes." Harry assured them. _"Just say a random Wizard stumbled on you and cast it. They'll probably be worried about a stalker but at least they wont know about me. Unless they tell Dumbledore what form it was."_

"What do you mean?" Damien frowned.

"The panther is Nicolas Flamel's Animagus form and Perenelle Flamel's Patronus. And my own." Harry told them both simply.

"And Dumbledore will know what it symbolises?" Damien asked.

__

"He'll probably recognise it but he can't possibly link it to you." Ben pointed out to Harry. Harry was about to respond when Lily apparated directly into the middle of the street, her wand pointing around as she took in everything. Finally she sighed in relief and ran to her two sons.

"Please tell me you're ok!" She cried out as she knelt beside them running diagnostic spells over them. Harry saw Damien discreetly slip Harry's wand into his pocket so it wasn't seen and cursed himself for not putting it in his jacket before changing.

"We're fine mum. Eri appeared and drove it back and then that Patronus appeared but we don't know where it came from. We heard a crack so maybe they apparated away." Ben spoke for the first time since the attack and his breath misted as his words emerged proving to Harry just how cold it was after the Dementor's attack.

Lily glanced around warily before helping the two to stand. _"Hold hands." _Harry told Damien and Ben before trilling encouragingly. He wanted them both out of the cold as soon as possible and having to apparate outside of the Manor's wards was a delay he could avoid. Ben told his mother to hold his hand as Harry settled on his shoulder. Ben grabbed Damien's hand and Lily, after seeing what was being offered, grabbed Ben's outstretched hand rather eagerly.

__

"On the floor this time please." Damien grumbled mentally. Harry focused on the dining room of the Manor and transported them all in warm flames.

Harry was forced to flare his wings as his perch fell rather uncomfortably through the foot drop to the floor. He'd focused higher than normal to compensate for their standing positions but had evidently misjudged their height from his smaller perspective. The three stumbled and only Ben, lightened slightly by Harry's grip, managed to stay upright. _"Sorry."_ Harry gave an apologetic trill to accompany the words and Damien chuckled.

__

"Still needs practice." Damien told him with a crooked smile that made Harry's heart tear slightly.

"Right boys, sit down and get some chocolate from Doy while I go get your father home from work." Lily told her.

There was no way that Harry was letting her leave now when there was a Dementor out near or even on the grounds. He chirped what he hoped sounded like a negative before vanishing into another sphere of flames following the route his father always took to work and then seeking out his father. Even though he couldn't sense anybody in the family other than Ben, he could sense their emotions close up and find them wherever they went, regardless of distance or protections. He appeared in a brightly lit room that he guessed were Auror offices. The room went silent as two dozen Aurors turned to him, the closest of which was a very worried looking James and a woman that Harry had never seen before.

"…Using a Patronus spell in a muggle area."The woman trailed off.

Harry chirped in agreement and landed on James' shoulder causing his poor father to tense in fear of Harry slashing him with his beak or talons. "Oh, Merlin, it's trying to kill me." James muttered. Harry made a negative sound again before transporting from the room and across the width of England to Wales and the Manor. They reappeared from much higher than before and Harry heard a gasp of pain as James hit the ground.

__

"Oops." Harry muttered and heard Damien and Ben, now munching on chocolate, laugh at their father. Harry flapped over to Ben and begged a small piece of chocolate off of him. He swallowed it and licked a stray piece of chocolate from his older brother's hands. Ben would soon learn from experience and from Albus Dumbledore that feeding a Phoenix chocolate was a good way of keeping it, and yourself, up for an entire night. Harry wasn't going to tell him that though as he savoured the chocolate.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

****

That night

Harry was way too hyper to sleep when he settled down with his two, still rather scared, brothers in Ben's bed for the night so he slipped out once they were asleep and went out to fly off some of his chocolate induced energy. It was almost an hour later when he saw Remus appear just outside of the apparition wards and head inside the front of the Manor. A few minutes later Lily and James walked out and backtracked their friend's route before vanishing with duel cracks. Harry would have frowned if he could have but decided to play spy for the night instead. He reached out with his Phoenix Magic and found the two in a muggle region of London and he transported himself there without a second thought.

The room he appeared in was dimly lit but still well cared for and by the silence coming from the ten people in the room his appearance hadn't been expected. Headmaster Dumbledore was there as well as a couple of the professors from school that he recognised. Sirius was there and by the looks of the way he sat this was probably his house. Of course he parents were there and they were currently looking between Eri and the Headmaster in surprise and anxiety.

"We didn't invite him, Albus. I swear it." James assured the man as Harry landed indiscreetly on the table knocking a cup of tea square onto his father's lap though that part hadn't been accidental. He snapped up a sugar cube from the table. "Honestly I think he's had too much sugar today. He ate half the chocolate that we gave to Ben and Damien after their encounter with the Dementor."

"Please, there's no need to apologise. I have tried a dozen times to cover my tracks from Fawkes and it's impossible." The Headmaster announced just as Harry spied somebody he really didn't like. "There would have been nothing you could have done to stop him and a Phoenix is always welcome here. Don't you agree, Sirius?"

The question proved Harry's thoughts that this was Sirius' house but Harry was only half listening about Phoenixes being able to pierce the Fidelius charm as he jumped across the table and flared his wings aggravatingly at the scarred old man with the fake eye that had sent the Diffindo spell at Ben and Damien on the Quidditch pitch. The man leaned as far away from Eri as he could and levelled his wand at him and didn't seem to be thinking twice about whether or not to curse a Phoenix or not.

"Eri, no!" Lily snapped but Harry ignored her.

"Alastar, put away your wand." The Headmaster spoke simply. "He thinks you're the man that attacked Ben and Damien on the pitch after the final task. He took a Diffindo from Crouch Junior."

Harry turned slightly and trilled an irritated sound that was half questioning before turning back and flapping his wings threateningly again as if to say 'explain or I'll peck out his eyes.' He clicked his beak to enforce his point.

"I've never seen such a violent Phoenix before but he is very young." The headmaster muttered to them all seemingly unconcerned about the continued health of one of his subordinates and friends. "Eridanus, this is Alastar Moody. He was kidnapped this time last year and an impostor, who attacked Benjamin and Damien on the Quidditch pitch, used his hair for polyjuice potion."

Harry eyed the man but he heard no lie in his voice and he folded his wings and preened an out of place feather and hopped back to the sugar bowl to steal another lump of the divine stuff. _'Maybe I should warn Ben and Damien about feeding me sugar when I'm Eri.'_ He thought to himself as he ignored anything in what he now realised was an Order of the Phoenix meeting that didn't have to do with his brothers. Eventually though the conversation spun around to the evenings attack.

"What I want to know." James almost snarled, "is how a Dementor could leave Azkaban without anybody knowing about it. Last I heard, the Ministry was still in command of them all."

"As far as I know they all still answer to the Ministry." An older woman across the room spoke up. "Which would mean that somebody within the Ministry sent them."

"Could this be part of the smear campaign?" Lily perked up. "Make Ben look like a criminal by forcing him to defend himself against an attack that the Ministry will claim to be false?"

"It seems possible but without proof it is a bit of a leap." A dark-skinned man put in in a low voice. "We should just be glad that this mysterious man, or woman, appeared and cast that Patronus or they could have both lost their souls."

"The Underage Office can't prove that the magic cast was in fact Ben's or Damien's since the Dementor in the area has disrupted their sensors so they can't put Ben under trial like Fudge has been demanding." The older woman told them again. "He almost seemed too eager to do just that, so was that toad of a woman that has become his shadow. They were there instantly after the report came in, as if they were expecting it."

"All assumptions." Moody growled out. "We don't have proof that this is part of any Ministry plot to undermine Benjamin. We should focus on what to do to prevent something like this happening again."

"Steps are already being taken." Dumbledore spoke up. "They are to stay in the Manor except for their trip to the Burrow and they'll have plenty to keep them busy. Lily and James can get their supplies for them as soon as Damien chooses his electives. I still think it best if this smear campaign is kept from them though. Ben's mental state is still questionable."

"This is our son you're talking about, Albus!" James snapped.

"It is more of a compliment than an insult, I assure you James, Lily." Dumbledore placated. "Anybody else would have already given up yet Benjamin and his brother have advanced in their lessons faster than I could have possibly imagined."

__

'Job one; find out about this smear campaign and tell Ben and Damien.' Harry made himself a mental list.

"I'd like to close this meeting soon." Dumbledore interrupted any muttering that had started. "Alastar, I'd like you to try to find this mysterious wizard."

"And do what to him?" Moody smirked.

"He may be an ally, Alastar, do what you need to do but no more." Dumbledore held his gaze for a moment before continuing. "Unfortunately I can't shake Minister Fudge's appointment of Deloris Umbridge as the Defence Professor regardless of James' application so we will have to keep a close eye on things at Hogwarts once the term starts again especially to do with anything between her and the two Potter boys."

"Agreed." The older woman, obviously a high up Ministry official, nodded in agreement.

"Then this meeting is concluded." Dumbledore spoke up. Harry watched as everyone apparated from the room and spied a newspaper on a side table. He flew over to it and smirked internally as he spotted the picture of Ben just after the Graveyard incident on the front page. He landed on it before transporting himself and the paper out of the house and back to Ben's room.

The Order members really had no suspicions about him if they'd say so much in his presence that was supposed to be kept from Ben and obviously Dumbledore had decided that he wasn't going to bond with either of them.

A man detached himself from the shadows of the meeting room after the last flame had faded and he frowned down at the table where the paper had previously lain. Why would a Phoenix act so strange? Long pale fingers brushed the table surface before he too apparated away with more questions about Eridanus than all of the Gryffindors in the room combined.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	7. Rebellion

Birth of a Phoenix

Chapter 7; Rebellion

Harry woke curled up spooned with Ben like he had done many times before though this time he buried his head into Ben's spine with a groan that made Ben come awake with a jerk. "You know Damien usually lets me sleep in." Ben grumbled sleepily a moment later.

Harry just groaned as his migraine stabbed at his head like small daggers and he buried his head against Ben's back letting the warmth from his skin seep into his forehead to alleviate the pain. "Are you hung over, Harry?" Ben asked as he turned on the bed and gathered Harry with his head against Ben's chest.

"Neh." Harry moaned. "Coming down from sugar rush."

"Sugar rush?" Harry could hear the amusement in his older brother's voice and weakly thumped him on the side which only made him laugh.

"It's your fault!" Harry argued though it was muffled. "You fed Eri chocolate!"

"So that's a no-no then." Ben chuckled. "I have to get up, it's nearly breakfast. You staying here?"

"Neh." Harry grumbled and pulled the cover over his head as his brother pulled himself out of the bed. Harry heard him moving about the room before the bathroom door opened and he heard the sound of amused talking before the shower turned on. A few minutes later the cover was pulled away from his back and the bed dipped as one of his brothers joined him. Hands came around him and he felt a bare chest against his back. It was Damien.

"So no more chocolate for you then?" Damien laughed.

"Not when I'm Eri at least, though the sugar I ate at the Order of the Phoenix meeting didn't help." Harry told him as he turned around and hugged his younger brother briefly.

"You went to an Order meeting? How did you get in?"

"Phoenixes can travel through the Fidelius as long as they have a bond with somebody inside, in this case Mum and Dad." Harry told him. "I followed them last night, heard some interesting stuff too."

"Like what?"

"Like the reason why Mum and Dad won't let you two go to Diagon Alley." Harry sighed, "It's all in the newspaper clipping I stole."

"You stole a newspaper clipping from the Order?" Damien frowned.

"Yeah, nobody saw me." Harry assured him. "Maybe you should read it."

Damien grumbled and Harry regretted the suggestion when his brother rolled out of bed and walked over to the table. Harry struggled up and decided he'd take a shower after Ben was done.

Walking out of his own shower in a towel he walked back into Ben's room and started dressing all the while eyeing Ben as he sat on his table with his head against the wall. "Are you ok?" Harry asked as soon as he had his boxers and combat trousers on.

He walked over to Ben as he pulled on his shirt and placed his hands on his knees. "Where's Damy?" Ben asked.

"I think he's gone down to breakfast." Harry told him.

"Good." Ben lifted his head and collapsed forwards into Harry's waiting arms.

"Shhh." Harry told him as he squeezed him tightly. "They're all idiots. Nobody that knows you and loves you could ever think you're an attention seeking brat."

"I know but it still hurts after everything." Ben sobbed. "They think I had something to do with Cedric's death. The only reason they haven't carted me off is because of who mum and dad are!"

"Don't you worry about that? I can transport anywhere that you are, they can't take you anywhere." Harry pulled back and grabbed Ben's chin. "You don't have to worry about anything anymore, no matter what happens I'll never let anything hurt you. I abandoned you once and I'll never do it again."

Ben leaned his head forwards and Harry copied the gesture so that their foreheads touched. "I know, Harry. We're twins and now that we're together again I'm never letting anybody close enough to hurt either of us again."

Harry grinned and hugged Ben again before stepping back and turning into Eri. '_Food for the hang over!' _He chirped happily.

"Yes Sir!" Ben laughed as he jumped from the table and lifted Harry in his hands and placed him on his shoulder. "Want some practice?"

'_Really?'_ Harry asked surprised.

"You have to practice some time." Ben shrugged. "Just no thousand foot drops."

'_Nah, I could catch you again before you hit the ground!'_ Harry grinned mentally before they vanished in a cloud of fire.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**July 31st**

When Harry woke up that morning it wasn't naturally. There was somebody bouncing up and down on the bottom of his and Ben's bed. The two boys rolled onto their backs and bolted upright in shock to see Damien grinning down at them. "How old are you, three!?"

He simply grinned wider as Ben collapsed backwards and threw his arm over his eyes. Harry was more awake and managed to catch his younger brother as Damien threw himself onto him. Harry hugged him.

"What's the occasion, Damy?" Harry asked with a frown even though he didn't mind in the least.

Ben laughed in amusement. "It's our birthday." He grumbled and Harry felt Damien's head nodding against his shoulder.

"Is it?" Harry glanced over at Ben and saw him grinning up at him.

"Yes." Ben laughed. "But I'm not going to celebrate it for at least two more hours!"

Harry glanced at the window to see that the sun was still rather low in the sky, in fact it was barely over the horizon making it no more that five in the morning. "Definitely not." Harry laughed and pulled himself backwards and down onto the bed. Damien squeaked in surprise but then curled up half on Harry and half lying between him and Ben. Ben turned to hug them both.

"Happy birthday, Harry." Ben kissed him on the forehead.

"Happy birthday to you too, Benji." Harry grinned up at him before leaning down to kiss Damien's hair before resting his head on it and closing his eyes.

When he woke up it was to knocking at the door. He nudged the other two just as the door handle moved but the door was locked like they always did now. "Wake up damn you!" Harry hissed good naturedly right in both of their ears just as he wrestled his arms free and jabbed Damien in the sides making him jerk up.

"What?"

"Mum or Dad is at the door!" He hissed.

"Boys!" Lily's voice sounded through the door and Ben groaned as he woke up.

"Damy, please get off me so I can change." Harry asked politely even as Damien realised his mum was so close and Harry was a human. He scrambled off of him so fast that he tore the cover off of all of them. Harry grinned down at him before changing into Eridanus. '_Make sure my clothes are hidden.'_ He warned them both just as Damien pulled on his dressing gown and went to the door.

Ben kicked Harry's jacket, t-shirt, trousers, shoes and socks under the bed before grabbing his own dressing gown as Damien opened the door. Harry flew up onto the top of the canopy above the bed and settled on one of the corner posts. Lily smiled warmly at Ben as she walked into the room before hugging him tightly. "Happy birthday, my dear!"

"Thanks mum." Ben grinned and hugged her back.

Harry watched the exchanged sadly and knew that if he was human he'd be crying. His brothers were the thing he had missed most but now that he had them back again he was feeling the pain at being abandoned by his parents all the more.

"We've got present waiting for you downstairs." Lily told him warmly. "Hurry and get dressed before your sister's get to them."

Ben chuckled but agreed before closing the door after her. "Harry?" Harry looked down at him but didn't fly down. "I can feel it you know. Get down here before I find my wand."

"Feel what?" Damien frowned looking between his two older brothers.

"Harry." Ben growled. "Now!"

Harry stretched his wings and flew down. Like he was now he was pretty protected from sad emotions but he knew what would happen after seeing that scene in human form and he didn't welcome it. Still, he couldn't ignore his brother's order so easily. He landed and changed back into his human form and instantly felt tears in his eyes and his limbs shaking.

"Oh, Harry." Ben sounded so concerned that Harry lost control of his emotions and sagged slightly in defeat. "I know it hurts, I can feel it to."

"What's the matter?" Damien asked.

"He misses mum." Ben sighed and pulled Harry into a gentle hug. "That right?"

Harry nodded slowly against Ben's shoulder and felt a shiver go up his spine and the tears start. Damien hugged his back tightly and Ben tightened his own grip letting Harry sag completely. "I don't care, I don't care." Harry muttered.

"Yes you do." Ben sighed. "I know you do and that's what makes you Harry, what makes you my twin."

"That's all I want to be though, you and Damy's brother. I don't want to be their son again." Harry told them both. "They'll hurt me again."

"If they do then they wont be my parents anymore either!" Ben declared and Harry's head snapped back in shock at his brother's words.

"You can't mean that!" Harry frowned.

"It will always be you over them, Harry. There's nothing more important to me than you and Damien." Ben said.

"I agree." Damien spoke up next to Harry's ear and Harry tightened his grip in gratitude. "Happy birthday, Harry."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Harry sat on Ben's bed reading over a few of the spells in the back section of Ben's book while he listened carefully to the hallway in case somebody approached. He was just going over a few of the spells that he hadn't ever used. The sort of things that would come in handy if he, Ben and Damien ever got into a tight spot. Ones that probably wouldn't work unless he was really desperate but he would pull his weight in a fight no matter how much it hurt him.

A pair of footsteps came running up the hallway and in a smooth motion Harry put the book back on the side and stood from the bed before changing into Eridanus and flying up onto the top of the bed's canopy again. Ben and Damien burst into the room with grins on their faces and cake in their hands and Harry flew down to the floor as Ben shut and locked the door. He morphed back into a human hand raised his eyebrows at his brothers in amusement.

"Now who's got a sugar rush?" Harry asked.

"We saved you some." Damien offered meekly and thrust a piece of the chocolate cake at Harry.

"I suppose I can forgive you then." Harry smirked and snatched the chocolate cake from Damien with a laugh.

"You better eat that as a human, I don't want another hung over brother." Ben grinned before he ducked out of the room and into Damien's before Harry could comment.

"Fancy summoning the box from on the canopy?" Harry asked his younger brother who nodded and pulled his wand.

"_Accio box!"_ He hissed and the box flew from the top of the canopy and down into his hand.

"You're getting better at that." Harry complimented as he accepted the little velvet box he'd stolen back from Hogwarts after finding where the things from Nick's library had been taken. He hid it in his pocket as Ben walked back in a chuckled a box at Damien who grinned and handed it to Harry.

"For you." Damien smiled shyly and Harry took it from him and slowly unwrapped it. A small pendant rested on a cushion inside it. It was platinum by the looks of it and shaped like a Phoenix in flight. He lifted it out of the box and turned it over to look at the reverse. It was just as patterned on the back as on the front with each feather in detail. Even though it was almost completely flat it still looked real and on the back were carved words. 'To my brother for all time.' Harry smiled up at Damien who took it from him and scooted closer to clip the chain around his neck before tucking it down Harry's shirt.

Harry kissed Damien on the forehead and pulled him into a hug. "Thanks, little brother."

Damien smiled and pulled back and Ben passed him a large, book sized, present. Harry turned it over briefly before opening it. Inside was a leather bound photo album. Harry opened the first page to find a picture of Harry and Ben when they were only three holding their new born brother between them. Harry felt a grin spread across his face. "We were so cute!"

"Yeah, look at Damy!" Ben chuckled and got slapped in the arm from their younger brother. Harry flipped through the first few pages and they were filled with both magical and Muggle photos of the three brothers and then on to photos of Ben and Damien as they grew up along with their twin sisters. Harry smiled up at Ben and hugged him tightly before slipping his small velvet box into his hand as they pulled apart.

"What's this?" Ben asked.

"I think you're supposed to open it." Damien chuckled and moved to sit at Harry's side. Harry leaned into him and felt Damien's arm go around him.

"Funny." Ben rolled his eyes and popped the box open. Inside was a ring of gold with Diamond set into the band. "Is that a Diamond?"

"Yeah." Harry told him eyeing the rune patterning on the band that charged it with power. "It's enchanted to protect you. It'll let you cast shields at twice their normal powers though it'll use up two times your magic. It also has a portkey capability though I didn't set that."

"Where did you get it?" Ben asked.

Harry went slightly red and looked down at the bed. "Me and Nick made it a couple of year ago." Harry sighed.

"I can't accept this, Harry." Ben told him.

Harry pushed his hand away. "We made it so that one day I could give it to you." Harry told him with a small smile.

"I don't know what to say." Ben sighed after a few moments. "I wont ever take it off."

He slipped the ring onto his right ring finger and it vanished from sight though Harry knew that people could still touch it by accident. Ben grinned up at him. "If you don't want it to channel extra power into your shield spells don't let it touch your wand when you cast the spell."

Ben nodded to show he understood and suddenly Harry was being thrown back onto the bed along with Damien and Ben hugged him tightly. Harry let his eyes slip shut as he dozed off ten minutes later with both his brother's in his arms.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Three weeks later**

"I don't believe this!" Ben growled in fury and his magic ebbed away from his skin and sent one the wooden chairs flying across the room. Harry lashed out with his own personal magic to send it flying off course even as Damien threw himself behind the bed in fear. Harry rounded on Ben and gripped him on the shoulders. His own fiery aura leaked over onto Ben and his blue magic ebbed back again his skin mixing with the red flames ever so slightly making Harry withdraw his own magic as Ben reigned in his own.

"Say your sorry." Harry grinned.

"What?" Ben blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Not to me." Harry flicked him on the forehead. "To Damy, who you just nearly knocked across the room with a flying chair."

"Damy?" Ben looked around with shock to see Damien still crouched behind the bed.

"Yeah, I'm not quite so good at shielding myself without my wand." Damien smirked. "Thanks Harry."

"Damnit." Ben winced. "Sorry Damy."

"I don't mind." Damien smiled. "What's got you riled up so much anyway?"

Both Harry and Damien had been lounging in Ben's room when he'd slammed his way through the door and surprised Harry into morphing into Eridanus. Harry sighed and looked at him already having a small idea about what was happening.

"They've cancelled our trip to Diagon Alley." Ben growled and Harry nodded. "We're just going to go to the Burrow!"

"Did you know this, Harry?" Damien asked making Ben snap his head around.

"I heard them talking about it at the Order meeting I spied on." Harry sighed and Ben's eyes flashed with irritation which faded to concern as Harry flinched. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but if you'd blown up at mum and dad they'd have suspected that I could talk to you."

Ben dropped his head slightly before turning and walking out to the balcony. "He's not angry at you." Damien told him.

"I know." Harry sighed before strolling to the balcony doors making sure that he didn't go out far enough to be seen from the grounds since it was still light. "Benji?"

"I'm not angry at you." Ben half turned around.

"I know you're not." Harry sighed. "You're pissed off that you're being manipulated again. That everyone is dictating how you live."

"That's not all." Ben started but Harry raised his hand to stall him.

"And you're annoyed that they won't let you live your life because you're scared it's going to end sooner than you want." Harry sighed and held out his arms to get Ben to come to him. He agreed and walked into Harry's arms.

"You know me so well, it's like you never left." Ben grinned against Harry's ear.

"You're not going to die, Benji." Harry sighed and squeezed him tightly. "I won't let you die!"

They stood in silence for a time before Ben kissed the side of Harry's face and pulled away slightly. "Thanks Harry."

"I know." Harry grinned but the grin faded into a pained look that made Ben frown in concern. "My jacket pocket." Harry hissed even as the pain spread through his chest rather than up his spine.

"Harry?" Ben frowned. "I can't feel anything."

"It's a major fit." Harry managed out before the first wave hit him. "Don't leave me!" He begged as the pain threw his body into a spasm. Ben flinched and cried out in pain. Harry met his eyes in despair and instead of focusing on deadening the pain like he normally did he focused on how the bond was cut as a Phoenix. Even though he knew he couldn't turn into Eridanus during a major fit he didn't want Ben feeling it.

Harry looked up through blurred eyes as Ben's face came close to his own in panic. He'd obviously got worried about suddenly not feeling Harry's pain. "Damien! His pills!"

He felt a set of hands land on his chest as somebody crouched and he turned his head through the pain to see Damien forcing two of his pills into his mouth. "What's happening?" Damien gasped out as he settled by Harry's head.

"I don't know, he cut off the pain!" Ben's fingers fumbled at Harry's throat as he monitored his pulse and Harry found and held onto his hand to reassure him even as his eyes shuttered and his back arched in pain. "Oh, Harry. I can't stand this." Ben dropped his head onto his chest."

"It's not fading." Harry heard Damien point out through the haze that was taking over his mind. They'd witnessed a dozen normal attacks but never had they seen one of his bi-annual major fits that got worse which each year. They'd started a few years ago and only gotten worse which each strike but there was nothing to be done but wait them out. "Let's get him on the bed." Damien suggested.

Harry felt himself being lifted in his older brother's arms and he turned into the embrace without thinking about it even though his body was quivering in pain. He was getting hotter with each moment and knew his brother's noticed when they started undressing him before tucking him in. He writhed for a moment as they backed away but then calmed ever so slightly when he felt his older brother holding him tightly through his pain.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**A few days later**

Harry lay looking up at the ceiling like he had for the last hour. He'd just gotten the first three hours sleep he had managed since the onset of his fit and his temperature was finally starting to ebb back to normal temperatures. Damien was lying to one side and Ben was on the other. They'd both slept with him each night while he lived through a fever and the pain of the attack and then run interference through the days to make sure nobody saw him writhing around in the bed.

They'd obviously not been able to sleep touching him though since they had both moved away from his burning body though he knew they both put up with it until they'd fallen asleep so that he knew they were there for him. Now though, he was colder than the normal human levels and didn't feel any pain. He ached like nothing else and the attack had lasted for six hours longer than the two days of the last time.

Harry rolled onto his side to face Ben and slid across the bed to rest his head against Ben's chest. Harry sighed and his breath tickled across his brother's skin. "Yeesh! That's cold!" Harry chuckled and felt Ben come awake in an instant. "I'm not kidding, your whole body is freezing. You're back to normal!"

"Yeah." Harry told him. "Thanks for everything."

"No problem." Ben smiled down at him. "How often do you have attacks like that?"

"Twice a year but they get longer each time." Harry sighed. "What day is it?"

"Saturday." Damien muttered just before his own arms went around Harry. "God, you're cold!"

Ben laughed but turned in to Harry and hugged him letting their warmth flood him. "You're going to the Burrow tomorrow right?" Harry asked.

"Yeah." Ben sounded unsure.

"Go." Harry assured him. "Enjoy yourself. I'll have Damy to keep me company."

"Yeah, big bro." Damien grinned as he spoke. "Let me have Harry all to myself for a while!"

Ben laughed and reached around Harry to mess up Damien's, already sleep-mused, hair. Harry responded by reached down and jabbing his older brother in the sides making him shoot backwards before Harry and Damien both attacked him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The next day**

Harry watched from Damien's shoulder as once again Ben managed to produce a corporeal Phoenix that flew around them for a minute before fading from sight. '_Don't take it personally.'_ Harry told Damien privately. '_Most adult wizards can't do as much as you can.'_

'_But he's still better than I am.'_ Damien grumbled mentally.

'_He's two years older than you, Damy. You can't expect to get these high level spells as fast as he can.' _Harry told him before reaching down and nibbling on his younger brother's ear lovingly.

'_You know it's nothing to do with that!'_ Damien told him. '_I've heard you and Benji talking about my problem with Remus.'_

Harry flinched and ducked his head under his wing in apology. '_Are we right?'_

'_I think you might me.'_ Damien sighed mentally. '_I just don't think I can trust him as easily as I used to.'_

'_You'll just have to learn to trust him again. It was through love that he made that decision before." _Harry sighed. '_He's a good man, no matter how much I may not like him anymore. That's all personal and I don't want it to make you unhappy.'_

"Come on boy's, time for lunch I think. Ben you need to get done to get to the Burrow on time." Remus told them. Damien turned to the side to follow a grinning Ben towards the manor. Remus called out to him and he stopped. "Don't be sad about not being able to do what Ben can. He's always been powerful"

Harry perked up maliciously as Remus reached out to pat Damien on the head and before Damien could warn him off Harry lashed out with his beak and gouged a horrible slash into the werewolf's forearm. Remus yelped in utter pain as Harry's sharp beak penetrated straight to the bone. Remus jerked back and Harry ripped away and fluttered his wings to steady himself.

"Bloody bird!" Remus growled with proper anger in his eyes. "James was right about you!"

"Uncle Remus!" Damien snapped as his hand came up to stroke Harry's chest feathers and block him from retaliation. "It's not his fault. He must sense you've done something nasty!"

Remus frowned at Damien as he tried to stem the blood flowing from his arm rather uselessly. Damien glared back challengingly. "What have people been telling you, Damien?"

Damien took a step backwards as Remus tried to come closer. Harry yelled mentally for Ben who had carried on into the manor when he realised Remus wanted to speak to Damien privately. "Why did you abandon your godson?" Damien hissed.

Remus came up short like he'd walked into an invisible barrier. "Who told you that?"

"Answer the question!" Damien snapped.

"Whatever you've heard, Damien, it's not true." Remus tried to reach out again but Harry reared up and flapped his wings. "There's something off about that bird." Remus frowned.

"_Stop it, Harry!"_ Damien told him and Harry settled down. "Why wont you answer me?"

"You don't know anything about it, Damien, so drop it." Remus ordered and Damien took another step away from Remus.

"You're not who I thought you were." Harry would have frowned in concern if he was human when his little brother's wand came up to point at the angry Remus and he trilled a concerned trill before flaring his wings and transporting himself and Damien away from his supposed godfather and across the grounds to where Ben had just arrived on the doorstep of the manor.

Damien walked straight through the doors into the house and Harry was forced to lift off of his shoulder as he broke into a sprint up through the hallways and staircase to their rooms. "What was that about?" Ben asked.

"_He asked Remus why he abandoned me."_ Harry sighed. "_You'd better go calm Remus down. I took a chunk out of his arm. I'll go check on Damien."_

"Are you alright?" Ben stroked his chest feathers for a moment and Harry nipped his ear to soothe his concern. He flapped his wings to gain some altitude before transporting himself to Damien's room to find his brother curled up in the corner of the room on top of the bed.

Harry morphed into human, locked the doors to the bathroom and corridor, and then crawled up to Damien on the bed. Damien fell onto his chest before Harry could fully lean on the backboard and he fell with a gush of air out of his lungs. "It was really sweet what you did just now." Harry told him

Damien squeezed him and Harry squeezed back just as Damien began crying. Hopefully now his little brother could start to get over what his beloved Uncle had done to Harry and try to trust him again. Though that depended on Remus coming out with the truth.

Ben came in to say goodbye just after lunch and hugged them both goodbye though Harry and Damien didn't go to see him off and instead stayed where they were for the entire day until they striped down for sleep and Damien settled in against Harry's side as Harry recovered his new photo album and let Damien narrate all of the photos for the forth time.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	8. Back to Hogwarts

Birth of a Phoenix

Chapter 8; Back to Hogwarts

**Potter Manor - South Wales**

Harry sighed and pulled himself slowly up from the bed so he didn't wake Damien who was curled up against his back. Even if he wanted to sleep on his own in Ben's bed in the other room, it was too risky that Lily would notice that somebody was using the room. He didn't really mind sleeping beside Damien though, it helped him sleep better and Harry had quickly discovered that neither of his brothers had been deep sleepers or even happy dreamers.

In the three days since Ben had gone to the Weasley's home for the last week of the holidays Damien had barely left his room. Dumbledore had finished with his lessons for the time being as he had promised and Sirius had given Damien the time off from duelling practice as well. His Patronus lessons should have continued but when his mother tried to get him to meet with Remus for them, he had outright refused.

Harry doubted Remus would even show up for this one but then again that was just his own way of thinking about his supposed Godfather. Damien obviously had reason to love the werewolf and Harry found himself wondering whether he really cared if Remus looked out for Damien.

Harry took a quick shower and then dressed in his clothing making sure that there was no sign of his presence left in the room before he sat quickly at Damien's desk to think. He found himself thinking about the rapidly approaching school term. Much to Damien's anger, their mother had gone to Diagon Alley and bought the needed supplies for both of her sons and when she returned Harry had surprised himself and her and James with a gentle trill meant to cheer her up. She'd obviously been upset with what she'd dealt with there. All the world knew who she was and undoubtedly the views about her eldest son had upset her.

In four days they'd board the Hogwarts express and Harry wasn't sure how he felt about that. He had enjoyed the holidays where his two brothers gave him their undivided attention but he knew that as soon as they were back at Hogwarts things would have to change. For one thing he couldn't stay with them at night, he couldn't be in his human form unless they knew it was perfectly safe to do so which in a place like Hogwarts was almost never.

Trying to distract himself from his thoughts, Harry reached across the desk and picked up Damien's training book. As he lifted it up it knocked one of Damien's immaculate model ships to the side and Harry spied something that didn't fit in with the whole bedroom. Harry choked as he remembered it from so long ago and he carefully moved the model ship to the side and reached passed it carefully to slowly pull the thing forwards.

All of Damien's models, whether they were planes or ships, were immaculate. Done with such care that you could never imagine that a teenager or child had done them. Most weren't even kits brought from shops but things built up from wood and plastic. This one plane though was messy. It was pieced together wrong in certain places and had the air of carelessness that the rest of the models lacked. Harry remembered this plane. It was a World War Two Spitfire. A simple model that had been put together badly and only half painted. Harry remembered why it was only half painted though. Harry had been too tired to finish it with his little brother and for the three days afterwards his hands had been too shaky and Damien had declared that it could wait till he was better.

Harry had run away a week after that.

Harry felt tears in his eyes as he stared at the evidence of one of his childhood memories that involved him and Damien exclusively. The proof that Harry had made a difference in how Damien had grown up. Harry had nurtured Damien's love of muggle things like this and sent Ben out on a mission to buy this very Spitfire so that Harry and Damien could build Damien's first model.

And now he had that same model in front of him. It had been shielded by five separate ships, which was why Harry hadn't noticed it before, but it was completely free of dust and even looked worn where Damien had touched and held it. Harry traced the wing with a shaky finger but then drew his hand back and put his hands on his lap so his shaky limbs couldn't betray him and damage it. Tears slid across his cheeks as he silently wept for this piece of love that he shared with his younger brother.

"You up already?" Damien asked and Harry heard the bed covers move as Damien pulled himself up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Harry?"

Harry half turned to look at him but couldn't speak so just turned back to study the plane. It took until Damien had crossed the room and pulled on his dressing gown before Harry managed to speak though his words barely reached Damien. "You kept it."

Damien frowned before stopping at Harry's side to see what he was talking about. His breath hitched as he saw the plane. "I remember making it I think." Damien admitted. "It's always been in my room and it's sat on this desk for as long as I can remember."

"You didn't finish painting it?" Harry asked.

"I thought about it but every time I went to I realised I didn't want to." Damien frowned at the idea. "I suppose it looks really bad."

"I love it." Harry grinned at him. "You don't remember getting this one do you?"

Damien shook his head and Harry pushed away from the table in the chair and pulled Damien down onto his lap. Harry laughed as he hugged him. "Harry? What's going on?"

"Ben never told you who bought you that?" Harry asked.

"No. I don't think I've ever asked him. I asked mum once but she just looked confused about where it had come from." Damien told him.

"When you were three you got obsessed with anything Muggle and you told me that you wanted a plane." Harry told him with a small grin as he stared at the plane. "I caved and sent Ben to get a model plane. I don't know how he managed it but he came back with this kit and me and you spent hours putting it together. We weren't very good at it."

"You?" Damien stared at him in awe.

Harry nodded. "You built most of it since back then my hands were too shaky to do anything and we never finished painting it because I was too tired by the time we got to that bit." Harry sighed. "I told you to finish it off but you refused and told me we'd do it when I got better."

"Why didn't we?" Damien was obviously straining to remember it all.

Harry winced and looked down. "We never got the chance. I left the week after." He couldn't look at Damien but he slowly reached out his hand to the trace the wing of the plane again but his hand shook too much and he clenched his fist. Damien watched the movement but Harry missed the sympathetic look on his face. His younger brother reached out his own hand and took Harry's hand in his own and smoothed out his fingers before moving their joined hands to the plain keeping a firm grip on Harry's hand to stop it from shaking.

Harry sighed out in relief as he traced the wing under Damien's guidance. "I don't blame you for leaving and I've always loved this plane more than the others. Now I know why." Damien let go of Harry's hand and Harry pulled it back to hug Damien so his shaking hand couldn't do any damage.

Damien leaned back into him after pushing the plane back into its protective enclave between the guarding ships that seemed willing to sacrifice themselves for the safety of the badly made Spitfire even though it probably only cost the same as a fraction of one of the ships.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**That afternoon**

Harry, as Eridanus, sat with his head under his wing dozing on the back of Damien's chair in the house library as Damien read through the last few pages of his book memorising the spells he could now cast quite easily. Damien had decided that morning that they both needed to get out of his room and so they'd ventured out to the grounds but after a wind had come up making reading difficult they'd come inside.

Harry jerked awake as the door opened and he smelled the familiar scent of Remus as the man entered the room. He trilled neutrally to alert Damien who had been content to read without noticing and his younger brother looked up before tensing.

"Damien?" Remus asked nervously. "Can we talk?"

'_He really is nervous.'_ Harry pointed out helpfully. '_It's passed time for you to accept that he's a different man now.'_

"Answer me this first." Damien asked as he stood. Harry stayed where he was watching the scene and wondering what his brother was going to do. "Will whatever you say to me now make up for what you did to Harry?"

Harry started at the question and Remus seemed shocked at it as well. Remus went slightly pale but couldn't bring his eyes up to meet Damien's burning emerald eyes that undoubtedly mirrored Harry's own. "No, Damien." Remus sagged into the chair opposite Damien and held the side of his head in his hand. "Nothing I could ever do could ever repay Harry for what I did to him. Or rather what I neglected to do."

"Then we can talk." Damien nodded and sat back down again. Harry dropped down onto the edge of the chair and trilled out a boosting song which made Remus look up at Damien with hope in his eyes. "As long as you never try to tell me that what you did was the right thing to do because I will never believe that."

"I know." Remus sighed. "We knew he was going to die and back then we were foolish enough to think that not letting you and Ben get too close to him would soften the blow when it happened. We were wrong in that case both with the two of you and for ourselves."

Harry leaned over to Damien and nuzzled the side of his neck lovingly before speaking in his head. '_I'll be with the twins.'_ He told him before flapping his wings and flying from the room out into the grounds to find the window to the room he could sense his twin sisters were in.

He found them arguing over the ownership of a pale blue jumper as they bounced around the living room, scrambling over the sofa while Lily watched on from a chair in front of the fireplace though it wasn't lit. Harry swooped down over the two girls and landed on Acacia's shoulder before she could pounce on the younger Crisanta. Acacia went deadly still not wanting to dislodge Harry who she adored and Harry leant down to nibble on a strand of her hair.

Harry looked up as somebody chuckled across the room and he found himself looking at Lily. Harry glided over to Crisanta to give her the same treatment before swooping over to land on the arm of Lily's reading chair. Curiosity had gotten the better of him and he was willing to have this moment with her since it was as close as he was willing to take it.

"You're not so bad as you want us to think are you?" Lily muttered as she studied him. "You bite and scratch at us but that's not what you really are is it?"

Harry didn't respond except to watch her calmly. Inside he had to admit he felt torn. He'd been too young to remember the moments that his mother and father had really loved him, had held him and comforted him. His only memories were really after Lily had become pregnant with the twins when he was almost five. He'd never had a mother but he knew he needed one. He wasn't an adult, he was still a child and if he was perfectly honest with himself just having brothers wasn't enough to keep him going. They might be all he needed to survive but they weren't everything he needed to have a life.

"I spoke to Molly Weasley this morning and I thought you'd like to know that Ben is having a good time." Lily told him and Harry tore his eyes away from the two girls to look at the woman again. He tilted his head on its side and Lily smiled a smile that went straight to Harry's core. He'd give anything to be able to go back to when he was five and have this woman come into his bedroom, feed him his medicine, kiss him on the forehead and wish him well. "She invited Damien around for dinner tonight. Did you want to take him and bring him back in the evening? No curfew?"

Harry tilted his head at her in question and she laughed. "He needs to get out and the Weasleys might be just what the boy needs." Lily studied him for a moment. "Molly doesn't seem to mind you being around her children. I think she believes that you can't possibly be worse for her children than they are to themselves.

Harry nodded to show he understood and agreed to take Damien but he was still thinking about that smile. Lily reached out to stroke him carefully watching him for a reaction and Harry almost let her touch him. His beak snapped closed about a millimetre from her hand. He wouldn't have actually bit her but the intention was clear. She snapped her hand back with a half wounded and, oddly enough, half amused look and Harry flapped his wings to cross the room to play with the girls. The smile was all well and good but Harry couldn't forget the fact that Lily had chosen to take that smile from him even when he was dying.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Late afternoon**

"Damien, when do you want to leave?" Harry asked as he poked his head into the bathroom where Damien was taking a shower. His brother was shielded by the misted glass of the shower door but Harry wasn't bothered by even that bit of exposure. He'd gotten used to it since both his brothers weren't subtle around each other and now him.

His brother stepped out of the shower and tucked a towel around his waist. "Just let me get changed and we can leave." He offered. Harry nodded and backed out of the bathroom and flopped down on the bed as Damien minced around the room grabbing clothes to wear.

Harry laughed at Damien when the boy announced he was ready to leave. His hair had been dried but Damien, in his excitement at getting out of the house for the second time this summer, had forgotten to actually comb it. Both Harry and Ben's hair was crazed no matter what they tried but since Damien had their mother's hair it lay flat and straight. Harry reached out with his internal magic and his aura reached out to the desk and grabbed the comb there and brought it to him carefully. Damien grinned in wonder at the feat that he'd only seen a few seventh years manage. Ben was capable of throwing things around the room but not with Harry's level of control.

Harry gestured for Damien to come over to the bed and Damien plopped himself down on the floor as Harry pulled himself up and started to comb his hair. Harry sighed out and Damien half turned to look at him in question. "I used to do this when we were younger. You never let me do it for long though."

Damien chuckled. "Have you thought about what you're going to do when we go back to Hogwarts?" He asked after a few minutes of content silence.

"Don't you want your big brother cramping your style?" Harry joked.

"I think Ben's already managed that one." Damien chuckled. "But you know what I mean."

Harry sighed and thought about it. "I'll just have to stay as a phoenix the entire time. I can't risk changing back to human somewhere at Hogwarts."

"But you are definitely coming with us?" Damien stopped Harry from doing his hair so he could look at his older brother. Harry was simply moving the comb through it now anyway.

"Of course." Harry nodded. "I might come back to say hi to 'Cacia and Crissy once in a while though."

"Good." Damien nodded. "We'll have to sort out a few things though."

"Like what?" Harry frowned.

"Like the Marauders Map." Damien told him. "Dad has it and it shows a plan of Hogwarts and names everyone in it. He's wanted to give it to Ben for years but Mum's always refused."

Harry thought about that for a while before nodding and standing. "Tell them that you think it would be useful if anything ever happens to Ben or you. That way you can track each other without a delay."

Damien smiled at him before the smile turned into a smirk. "You're brilliant."

"I know. Unfortunately I don't think it's something that we share as twins." Harry laughed before smoothly morphing into his phoenix form. '_Ready to go?'_

"Somewhere near the ground?" Damien asked hopefully. They transported from the room.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The Burrow**

Harry gripped his talons to stay steady as Damien fell the two inches to the ground. Damien stroked his chest feathers and muttered a well done. He had managed it and if he'd been transporting Ben he'd have got it right since his brothers weren't the same height.

"Damy!" Ben was on them in an instant. Harry had expected that really since he'd transported straight to his twin as he hadn't known where the Weasleys lived. At least Ben was sitting in the back garden rather than inside in the bathroom or something like that.

"Hey Ben." Damien replied with a grin. "Hey Ron, Ginny, Fred, George."

The four red headed siblings were looking between Harry and Damien in surprise. "We thought you were coming by floo? Mums in the living room waiting for you." The younger Weasley boy asked as he stood. Harry snapped his beak at him as his Phoenix self reminded him that this boy had called him a pigeon.

"Be careful Ronnie-kins." One of the twins laughed.

"The big bad bird might nip you again." They both started laughing.

"Careful you two." Ben warned as he stroked Harry gently. "He's rather sensitive and you might find yourselves transported into the middle of a Glacier or halfway up a mountain."

Harry perked up at the idea and sent an amused look at the four staring Weasleys before he chirped a trill to agree with Ben and jumped up onto his older brother's shoulder. Damien grinned at him to show he didn't mind the change of loyalty. Harry had missed his twin in the last four days.

The small girl, Ginny, turned and dashed up to the house and Ben, Damien and the others followed at a slower pace. Ben kept stroking at Harry's feathers. '_How have you been?'_

'_Damy's been looking after me.'_ Harry told him silently knowing that Damien could hear him.

'_He's missed you though.'_ Damien told Ben through Harry and Harry nipped at Ben's ear to show it was true.

'_I know, but once we're at Hogwarts we have all the time together we need.'_ Ben promised.

'_Yeah with me as a pigeon.'_ Harry grumbled with a dejected trill just as they entered the house and Harry found himself glad that he'd changed perch since a rather large woman crushed Damien into a rather motherly hug.

"And this must be Eridanus!" The woman turned to him. "My name's Molly."

Harry was surprised she actually introduced herself to him. "It's just a bird, mum." Ron muttered and Harry trilled at him in irritation.

"Ronald!" Molly rounded on her youngest son. "I won't have you talk about a Phoenix like that again. A Phoenix is a highly respected and powerful magical being with immense knowledge and wisdom."

'_You hear that, Damy, Benji?'_ Harry laughed. '_Immense knowledge and wisdom.'_

Ben stifled a laugh especially when Molly suddenly gave into temptation and reach out to stroke Harry who snapped his beak just an inch from her hands. She snapped back her hand rapidly and chuckled nervously. "Ben did warn me about you." She smiled. "As long as you protect the poor boy you're welcome here."

"Well mum doesn't believe that." Ben grouched.

"You're mum is just looking out for you, Benjamin dear." Molly told him. "Now, dinner will be ready in half an hour or so, why don't you all go into the living room and get comfortable. Eridanus, you are staying for dinner?"

Harry ducked his head to show he planned on it. "Just some berries or something for him, Mrs. Weasley. No sugar." Ben shuddered at the last part. "He gets rather hyperactive with too much sugar."

Damien laughed as Harry bit lightly on Damien's ear in retaliation. They settled in the living room with Damien sitting beside Ben happily on the sofa. Harry settled comfortably on the back of a chair and watched his brothers as they chatted to each other. Ginny constantly tried to get Damien's attention though Damien didn't seem bothered enough to give it.

"How are things with Remus?" Ben asked and Damien looked at the four Weasleys with a frown.

"We sorted things out this morning." Damien told his brother with a relieved smile. Harry perked up and trilled an encouraging sound at Damien who rolled his eyes at him. "I can cast a corporeal Patronus now."

Harry trilled at him again but Ben shook his head. "He can't do magic here, Eri. We're not protected by the wards and the Ministry will find out."

"And we're not transporting back to the manor so I can show off." Damien told Harry sternly. Harry puffed up slightly before admitting defeat with a huff and took to preening his feathers.

"Do you really understand what he says?" Ron asked in awe.

"Sometimes." Ben hedged. "He's rather easy to predict once you get to know him."

"Plus he was really happy earlier when I managed it for the first time." Damien smiled. "It wasn't hard to work out what he wanted me to do."

"So what's the shape?" Ben asked his brother eagerly though Damien already knew that Harry and Ben had discussed it during practice.

"You were right." Damien rolled his eyes letting the 'you' mean 'you and Harry' to his eldest brother. "It's a werewolf."

"Why would you want a werewolf to protect you?" Ron scoffed. Harry clicked his beak threateningly and Ron half glared at him.

"It represents Uncle Remus." Ben told his best friend with a sharp edge. "Werewolf's aren't bad, Ron."

"I know, I know. But a Patronus isn't supposed to be a Dark Creature." Ron told him. "Yours is a Phoenix after all."

"The Patronus takes the form of the thing that we feel protects us the most." Ben told him. "For Damien that's Uncle Remus."

"And a Phoenix?" Ron asked.

"Well, Eri did save me from the Graveyard last year and Fawkes saved me from the Basilisk." Ben told him though both Damien and Harry knew that neither of those was the main reason. Ben knew that Harry would always protect him and he was next to his heart always and that was why his Patronus took that form.

"Boys! Ginny!" Molly's voice called from the other room. "Dinners ready!"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**September 1st - King's Cross**

Harry could have gotten to King's Cross any number of ways, he could have flown there or waited for one of his family to arrive so he could transport there but he decided to stay with Ben and Damien and thus he flound himself clutched to his younger brother's chest as they tumbled out of the large fireplace on platform nine and three quarters. The first thing Damien did was check that Harry was alright since neither he or Ben were particularly graceful when using the Floo network.

Harry took wing immediately and landed on his younger brother's shoulder and nipped on his ear to show he was fine. Lily, who had gone through first laughed at the scene just as Ben stepped out of the Floo and stumbled over his own trunk. Harry chirped in amusement and Ben glared at him reproachfully. Ben had come back to the Manor the night before so he could pack and make sure he had everything he needed so the three brothers had had one night together before Harry was trapped in his Phoenix form almost permanently.

James was staying at home with the twins who Harry had already said goodbye to with many tears from the girls towards the Phoenix and also lots of hugs and tears for the departure of their older brothers.

"Remember what I said boys." Lily warned them. "Keep your chins up and stick together. Remember who your friends are…"

"And talk to Dumbledore if anything happens." Both brothers intoned dryly before Ben continued. "We get it mum."

"Good." Lily nodded sharply. "Now, Ben, some people might say bad things about you but remember the most important things. We all love you and as long as you stick to the truth you'll be vindicated in the end."

"What do you mean? Bad things?" Ben asked though he knew perfectly well what had been said about him.

"It's nothing to worry about dear, it's just a few people haven't been that believing in Voldemort's return." Lily told him soothingly before interrupting Ben by hugging him goodbye. "Stay safe."

"Of course mum."

"And look after your brother." Lily continued. Ben chuckled and nodded. "And Damien. Ben's going to need you more than ever this year but that doesn't mean you have to completely give up your own life to follow as his shadow. Enjoy yourself but please be there for him."

"Of course mum." Damien echoed his brother.

"And Eri?" Lily looked up at Damien's shoulder and smiled at him. "You will look after Ben and Damien won't you?"

Harry tilted his head and threw caution to the wind as he glided off of Damien's shoulder and landed lightly on his mother's suddenly very tense shoulder. He leaned down and nipped at her hair. '_Oh, Harry.'_ Ben sighed mentally with relief. Harry looked at his two brothers and their identical smiles before he let Lily stroke him lightly on the head.

Harry chirped a warning chirp before winged his way to Ben's shoulder. Lily got the idea. "Don't worry, I won't tell James." Harry trilled his agreement.

Lily hugged her sons one last time before ushering them onto the train with their trunks and cages with their owls, Hedwig and Thor, locked inside. Harry hadn't really spent much time with either owl since they hadn't had any work to do over the summer. They had both spent their time up in the house Owlery and Lily had used them both a few times to keep them busy.

The cages were put on the spare seats of the compartment and Harry settled down on the baggage rack once Ben and Damien had put their trunks in them. The two boys waved to their mother out of the window until she'd disappeared back into the crowd. The train lurched to a start five minutes later and Ben and Damien stretched out on their seats. Harry glided down onto Damien's lap and his brother began stroking his feathers.

"I'm going to miss having you as a human." Damien muttered.

"Careful what you say aloud, Damien." Ben warned though he wasn't really telling him off.

'_Get off my human.' _Harry jerked his head up at the sound. It wasn't so much in his head as it was in his ears. Like he'd suddenly learnt a new language.

'_Harry?'_ Ben's voice spoke in his head sounding confused. '_What's the matter?'_

'_Somebody just told me to get off Damien.'_ Harry told his two brothers not realising that he was trilling as well as mentally speaking.

'_Of course I told you to get off my human.'_ The voice sounded again and this time Harry could here the hoot behind it. Harry turned to look in the direction of the sound and found himself looking straight at Thor inside his cage. '_You're not moving.'_ Thor told him angrily.

'_Thor, what have I told you about your manners?'_ The other voice was from Hedwig sitting peacefully in her cage next to Ben. Harry looked between the two of them in shock. He'd spoken to Fawkes but he'd had no idea that owls could speak as well. Though he was actually translating their normal speech rather than listening mentally as Harry had with Fawkes. '_He's a Phoenix. He can sit where he likes.'_

'_How come he doesn't need a cage?'_ Thor asked.

'_Stop being a hatchling, Thor.'_ Hedwig reprimanded. '_He can talk to them, thus he can promise not to fly off randomly which we both know you do.'_

Harry turned to look at Damien and then at Ben. '_They talk?' _He made sure his words were purely mental so that the two owls couldn't hear him.

'_Who talk?' _Damien asked mentally.

'_Thor and Hedwig.'_ Harry told them both. '_They're arguing because Thor told me to get off his human and Hedwig was telling him off for being rude.'_

Ben burst out laughing. "That's my Hedwig." He said proudly.

Hedwig turned to look at him and flapped her wings in acknowledgement. '_Greetings Phoenix.'_ She told him after a moment.

'_Hello Hedwig.'_ Harry responded. '_I didn't know I could talk to you. I haven't seen you much this summer.'_

'_You are young.'_ Hedwig said as if it explained everything.

'_I hope you don't mind me stealing your humans.'_ Harry told her.

'_You are not stealing them, you are protecting them.'_ Hedwig told him sternly.

'_Stop talking and get us out of these things.'_ Thor squawked at Harry who turned to look at him. '_I want my human.'_

Harry trilled an amused sound before looking at Damien. '_Thor wants his human and they both want out.'_

"We're not supposed to let the owls out on the train, Eri." Ben told them.

'_Then you can tell the professors that the Phoenix let them out.'_ Harry glided over to Hedwig's cage and after a moments fuss he managed to work out the cage door though Ben was actually the one to do it. He turned back around to find that Damien had already released Thor and the brown owl was perched on his lap. Harry glared at him reproachfully and flapped his wings threateningly.

'_You may have my human's lap.'_ Hedwig told him in amusement. '_With my gratitude to my human.'_

Harry nodded and jumped up onto Ben's lap. '_Hedwig says thank you.'_ He told Ben as she flapped up to the storage racks to perch. Ben and Damien stroked Harry and Thor gently and Harry looked over at Thor who stared back. '_Don't think this is over fluff ball.'_ Harry trilled and spoke so everybody heard him.

They weren't alone for long though. A few minutes later a girl arrived reading a magazine and pulling along her trunk rather awkwardly. Damien shifted Thor from his lap and stood to help her heft her trunk up onto the racks but neither Ben nor Damien seemed to know who she was. She sat without comment and Damien shrugged and sat back in his own seat. Before Thor could steal back his perch Harry crossed the room and perched himself on his younger brother's lap.

Thor cursed at him but Harry just preened at his feathers. "You do realise you're fighting over me with an owl." Damien commented dryly. Harry shrugged and trilled smugly at Thor who looked rather dejected before turning his back on Damien. Ben made a gesture and the brown owl glided onto Ben's lap to be pampered.

'_I like this human.'_ Thor hooted.

'_Don't get any long term ideas, Thor.'_ Hedwig hooted warningly and Harry trilled in amusement.

A few minutes of silence later Ginny Weasley walked into the compartment followed by a boy that Harry didn't know though he smelled of plants and seemed rather shy to suddenly be in a room with so many people though his face lit up when he recognised Ben and Damien.

"You don't mind if we join you?" Ginny asked though she was already hefting her trunk up into storage before Ben could even stand and help. "Everywhere else is full. Oh…Luna, I didn't see you there. How was your summer?"

Luna looked up and studied everyone before her eyes settled on Ben. "Yes. It was enjoyable." She didn't take her eyes from Ben before she continued. "You're Benjamin Potter."

"I noticed." Ben muttered dryly. The other boy snorted with laughter and Luna turned to look at him.

"I don't know who you are."

"I'm nobody." The boy muttered.

"No, you're not." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Neville Longbottom, Damien Potter, this is Luna Lovegood. She's in my year but in Ravenclaw."

"Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure." Luna sung before tilting her head at Harry. Harry couldn't resist but tilt his head back. Luna tilted it the other way and Harry copied the movement playing this strange little game she'd just invented. Ginny giggled and Damien laughed.

"Luna, this is Eridanus." Damien introduced.

"A beautiful Phoenix." Luna grinned before turning back and lifting her now upside down magazine in front of her face. Ginny giggled again and Harry trilled at her in irritation that she was laughing at somebody who had just complimented him.

Damien ruffled his feathers and Harry snapped his beak at him before flapping his wings to climb up to the racking. He landed beside Hedwig before starting to straighten his feathers. By the time he looked back down Thor had switched back to using Damien as a perch. The owl hooted out in triumph and Harry shook his head before going back to his feathers.

It was over an hour later that they were joined by Ron and the bushy haired girl, Hermione, and their pets, a cat and a tiny hyperactive owl in a cage. Luckily the room had eight seats or they have gotten rather over crowded. They'd arrived after the lunch cart and instantly Ron sat beside Ben on the bench and started in on one of the spare chocolate frogs that hadn't been eaten. Hermione sat down between Ginny, who was next to Damien as always, and Luna who she eyed with confusion. Neville was sitting next to the door on Ben and Ron's side.

"Where did you two get to?" Ben asked with a frown.

"We were at the Prefects meeting, didn't Ron tell you last week?" Hermione asked.

"Sorry I forgot." Ron mumbled around his chocolate frog. "I told Ginny to tell them."

"No you did not!" Ginny complained. "I thought you told them. That's why I didn't mention it!"

"So you two are this year's Prefects?" Ben asked and there was a disappointed tone in his voice.

Harry missed what was said as he spoke to Ben though he included Damien out of habit. '_You know we discussed this. Dumbledore obviously doesn't want to add more to your plate.'_

'_I could handle it.'_ Ben retorted without looking up at Harry. Harry trilled out in agreement before flapping his wings and swooping down to land on Ben's lap.

Ben continued the conversation about the Prefects as Harry nuzzled his hand soothingly. It had hurt Ben to learn on top of all the shielding secrets that he was being left out of the chance of being Prefect because Dumbledore didn't think he could handle it.

"Ben, do you really think it right to have Thor and Hedwig out of their cages?" Hermione asked. "It's against the rules."

"Are you going to take points from us, Hermione?" Damien asked sweetly from her side. He was in the year below Ginny and Luna but he was taller than them both though not by much.

"Beside it wasn't our fault." Ben defended himself. "Eri wanted to let them out."

"Sure he did." Ron said patronisingly. Harry turned to look at him with a harsh trill.

"They've been talking to each other ever since they met this morning." Ben continued as if Ron hadn't interrupted. "He seems to get on with Hedwig but there are a few territorial issues between Thor and Eri over who gets to sit on Damien's lap.

'_Which I won!'_ Thor announced in a hoot that only Hedwig, Eri and presumably the little owl understood.

'_You did not win.'_ Harry argued back in a superior trill. '_I got bored.'_

'_Sure you did.'_ Thor gloated. Harry snapped his beak at Thor and the brown owl ruffled his feathers.

"Well if that's the case then I'm letting Pig out." Ron declared after everyone realised that the conversation between Eri and Thor had ended.

'_Please don't.'_ Hedwig hooted from above.

'_It's a menace!'_ Thor hooted forgetting his argument with Harry as the three of them turned to stare at the small bundle of fluff flying around in circles in the cage.

'_Let me out, let me out, let me out!'_ It chirped.

'_I don't think we should.'_ Harry muttered mentally to Ben and Damien as he took a nervous step back into Ben's chest. '_It's crazy.'_

Ben and Damien covered their laughs but neither tried to stop Ron from releasing the crazy bird which shot out and straight into Thor who flapped his wings sending the bird flying away from him in the gust of wind. Pig decided that his time was best spent flying around the room picking up speed as he went until he started flying circles around Hedwig's head. Hedwig clicked her beak at it even as Ben and Damien started laughing.

Harry flapped his wings warningly as Pig turned on him, and by the stream of words from his beak he was fascinated with the new colourful bird. "Pig, be careful! It might eat you." Ron warned his bird sharply.

'_It!'_ Harry snapped his head around to look at Ron and trilled in irritation. '_Maybe he has a good idea.'_ He spoke to Ben and Damien but also spoke out to the birds.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron. Phoenixes don't eat meat." Hermione shook her head and went to lift a book from the bench beside her so she could start reading.

'_You can't catch me!'_ Pig was singing as he swooped around Harry erratically.

'_I don't know, Ben.'_ Harry thought mentally and spoke aloud again. '_It might not taste nice but it would soothe my headache.'_

Ben leaned backwards as Pig flew rather too close to his face but he stared at Harry wondering what he was planning. On Pig's next circuit Harry lashed out with his beak faster than a Viper and snapped the little bird from the air.

Harry held it tightly in his beak being careful of the poor things wings as it flapped and struggled, squawking angrily at Harry. '_It's a rather lippy little thing.' _Harry commented as he adjusted his beak to make like he was about to swallow it. Pig went very still.

"Ben, get that ruddy thing off Pig!" Ron shouted trying to get close enough to Harry to get to his owl.

"Pig was asking for it." Ben pointed out dryly. Thor and Hedwig hooted out in an agreeing way. "Maybe if you ask him nicely he won't eat him."

"I'm not asking that thing anything. It's a menace!" Ron argued.

"Ron. I think it's Pig that's the menace." Ginny spoke up simply watching as both Damien and Ben looked like they wanted to beat her brother up.

"It did sound like that. Poor Eridanus, having to listen to such insults." Luna suddenly spoke up and instantly had everyone's attention. Harry trilled passed the blockage in his beak.

"Ron just ask Eridanus nicely." Hermione ordered.

"I'm not asking…" He trailed off as the entire room glared at him and Hedwig and Thor hooted at him. "Fine! Eri, would you please drop Pig?"

Harry tilted his head before turning to the open window and hopping over to it. "Eri!" Damien laughed. "In here!"

Harry looked at him and seemed to shrug theatrically. '_Give him here so I can put that menace back in his cage.'_ Thor told Harry who tilted his head at him before hopping over to Damien's lap with the bundle in his beak. He leaned over to Thor who carefully took the struggling owl from him before flying to the cage on the floor and dropping Pig in it. Hermione ducked forwards and locked the cage.

Harry settled on Damien's right led as Thor settled on the left and Damien seemed pleased that they'd come to some sort of truce over ownership of him. "Maybe it's best if Pig stays in his cage or we might have another war on our hands." Ben muttered to everyone who all, but Ron, nodded in agreement.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

They were only interrupted one more time during the journey when a blond boy entered with what seemed to be a permanent sneer fixed across his face. He was flanked by two rather large and muscled students who seemed utterly devoted to him. Ben had simply snapped out a question about what he was doing there and Harry was surprised that his twin was so offended by the boy's very presence.

'_Who's that?'_ Harry asked Hedwig in a low trill so as not to disturb Damien or Ben who were looking ready to begin a war.

Hedwig eyed the blond boy with contempt even as he threatened Ben with a punishment since he was a Prefect and Ben wasn't. Ben retorted with another rather blunt insult about the boy being a git and then ordered him out. Harry noticed he was radiating his blue Aura just away from his skin and his hair was rustling as if a wind swept around him. '_His name is Draco Malfoy. He insulted Muggleborns the first time they met, insulted the Weasleys and ever since then they take every opportunity to hurt and offend each other.'_

'_Hurt?'_ Harry asked in concern.

'_Malfoy is just an arrogant child but he managed to curse Damien rather badly in Ben's third year. It started an all out war that took up much of the year.'_ Hedwig explained.

'_And his father just happened to be one of those that were at the Graveyard.'_ Harry finished and looked at his brother suddenly understanding why he was being far more abrupt this time around. So abrupt that Damien was surprised at his reaction. Harry was about to interrupt and tear into the boy when Hermione stood up between Damien, Ben and Malfoy and ordered the Slytherin boy out of the compartment.

The rest of the trip passed in happy chatter though Ben dozed fretfully with his forehead pressed against the glass of the window. Harry settled sleepily on his lap and Ben's hand spent the entire time carding through his feathers. They talked together privately about why Ben was so miserable. About being not made Prefect when he was the obvious choice and how he thought it might upset his friendship with his best friend who evidently saw the truth behind the matter. Even Ron couldn't deny that Ben would be the better choice for prefect.

Luna, Ginny and Hermione slipped out of the room near to the end of the trip so the four boys could change in privacy and then they switched places so the girls could change. The Castle loomed into view as they pulled into the station. As they stepped off the train Ben became more and more restless. Firstly, Hermione and Ron disappeared off into the crowd to oversee the disembarking students and then Damien slipped off to greet a few of his friends. Neville, Ginny and Luna stuck with Ben and Harry rode out the trip on his shoulder.

Then Ben frowned as he saw the professor gathering up the first years and Harry leant down to nip at his hair. "Where's Hagrid?" Ben asked Ginny with a frown.

"No idea." Ginny shrugged it off.

Harry brushed his head against Ben's cheek to ask for an explanation later before they continued on their way to the carriages. Ben came to a sudden halt as soon as the carriages came into view. His shoulder tensed and Harry turned to look at him. '_What's the matter, Benji?'_

'_The carriages aren't normally pulled by horses.'_ Ben told him. Harry looked up and took in the creatures strapped into the carriages. They had a rather scrawny and dead look to them with large wings folded up to their back.

Harry was interrupted from speaking when Hermione, Ron and Damien suddenly rejoined them. Harry gave Damien a trill of greeting since Ben was still staring at the creatures pulling the carriages. Ron went off about Malfoy misusing his Prefect status but Ben interrupted him. "What are those things do you reckon?"

"What things?" Ron asked looking around at the looming forest nervously.

"Those horses…" Ben frowned before Luna interrupted them and handed Ron his owl rather impertinently.

"What were you saying?" Ron asked after a moment.

"I was saying, what are those horse things?" Ben asked with an irritated tone. He began following the others to the carriage regardless and Harry kept his mouth shut so he could explain when they weren't all talking. Ginny, Hermione and Luna clambered up into the carriage and Damien, Neville, Ron and Ben followed them up.

"What are you talking about?" Ron frowned at his best friend.

"I'm talking about…" Ben growled before sweeping a hand to the side to point at the horse. "Just look." Harry flared his wings to settle himself again and Ben guiltily lowered his arm.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" Ron asked and the rest of the passengers looked just as confused.

"Just between the shafts, it's right there." Ben looked to Damien who was watching him in concern. "Can't you see them?"

"See what?" Hermione frowned.

"Are you feeling alright, Ben?" Ron sounded really worried that his best friend was going insane.

Ben collapsed slightly and just muttered out in defeat. "Don't worry. I can see them too." Luna spoke up. "You're just as sane as I am."

Ron and Ginny snickered and Harry flapped forwards to settle rather gracefully on the horse's back. Ben grinned happily when Harry turned back to look at them all even as the Thestral turned to look back at the Phoenix. It snorted and began forwards on the trail of the other carriages. '_It's a Thestral, Ben.' _He spoke to both of his brothers. '_You can only see them if you've see somebody die.'_

'_Oh.'_ Damien winced. '_Sorry, Ben.'_

'_That's ok. So Damien can't because he hasn't seen anyone die and you and I can?'_

'_And presumably Luna too.'_ Harry nodded and flew back to settle on Ben's lap to the stares of everyone at the mystic floating bird. '_Idiots.'_

'_Those are my friends you know.'_ Ben demanded.

'_They should have believed you without all the questions then.'_ Harry retorted.

'_How do you know about them?'_ Ben asked.

'_I had a lot of time to read in the Flamel library which isn't that much smaller than the Hogwarts one.'_ Harry admitted. Ben stroked the side of his neck affectionately.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Harry took off to fly into the Great Hall when they finally arrived at the school. He settled in on the rafters in the corner wanting to study everyone before he announced to the student population that he'd stayed with Ben throughout the summer. Harry studied the room and Ben, Damien, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny took their seats at the Gryffindor table and Luna headed off to the Ravenclaw one.

Harry sat quietly unseen by everyone in the hall. '_Harry? Are you here?' _Ben asked him.

'_I'm here. Second rafter on the left side.'_ Harry told him and turned to look into his twin's eyes. Ben sighed in relief before turning back to the conversation. Harry perked up to listen to his words.

"Who's that?" Ginny asked suddenly pointed discreetly up at the head table. The others turned to look and Harry turned as well. She was a short woman wearing far too much pink. To be honest she looked like a toad. Harry also recognised her.

'_Her name's Deloris Umbridge.'_ Harry declared to Ben and Damien. '_She was questioning Dad when I kidnapped him from the Ministry after you were attacked but I only learnt her name when I went to the Order meeting. She's Fudge's favourite lackey. She's been quoted in a dozen articles insulting your intelligence.'_

He added a few promising insults that made Ben and Damien almost laugh. Harry was more concerned about what that woman in the Order had said. About Umbridge and Fudge being almost ready for the news of Ben using magic. She'd also been questioning James only minutes after the attack. Too fast. She didn't strike Harry as a very efficient woman which meant, to Harry, that she had previous knowledge of the attack.

Harry sat through the Sorting Hat's welcoming song which warned all the students into the dangers of not unifying against outside enemies and then a moment after it finished McGonagall began the sorting. Next year it would be Acacia and Crisanta down there and Harry decided then that he wouldn't miss that for the world and if he could help it they'd know that their third brother was watching and protecting them.

At the end of the Sorting, Dumbledore stood and began his normal speech but after introducing Deloris Umbridge she stood to begin a speech of her own. Harry listened to the first few words but then began to lose interest at the same time that the students did. Chatting began from below them but Umbridge didn't seem to notice. It was a couple of words in the middle that caught Harry's attention and she suddenly had Harry's undivided attention. As she finished a very short round of applause accompanied her sitting and Harry frowned.

With that speech she'd announced what she was doing there. Under all of the flourish and boredom of the speech she'd announced that the Ministry was slowly taking control of the school. Overseeing it's running more than it had ever been allowed to do before. '_Hermione thinks she's here to interfere with Hogwarts.'_ Ben spoke to him.

'_Clever girl.'_ Harry rolled his eyes. '_You didn't both listening did you? It was somewhere in all that boredom. Just watch yourself around her and try to stay calm.'_

'_I always stay calm.'_ Ben countered.

'_You very nearly gutted that Malfoy kid on the train.'_ Harry told him. '_Don't worry too much about it. Even with all the rumours going around about you there isn't much she can do to you without feeling the wrath of mum and dad.'_

Ben agreed with him silently and began digging into his food. Harry made a graceful appearance as he swept down through the room in tight spirals to the wonder of all of the students in the room. Harry let it pamper his Phoenix side until he swept passed Dumbledore and stole from the bowl of cherries sitting on the edge of the desk. Unfortunately he knocked over a jug of water as he took back off and it went straight across the table getting both Umbridge and McGonagall wet. Harry swept low over the Gryffindor table and settled gently down on the table.

'_Did you have to piss off the new teacher so soon?'_ Damien asked.

Harry swallowed the cherry before ducking his head. '_I didn't mean to, honestly.'_

"I don't think he did it on purpose this time." Ben told Hermione who was ranting about disrespecting professors and about Ben getting on her bad side. "Hermione? You can't blame him for everything."

"You can't afford to make any more enemies in the Ministry, Ben." Hermione hissed. Harry glanced up at the Professors who were all either trying to hide grins or watching Harry in amusement. McGonagall had already dried herself with a spell but Umbridge was glaring at him while arguing with Dumbledore about something. Obviously about Harry's presence at Hogwarts.

'_I think it's more me that we have to worry about.'_ Harry told Ben and Damien.

'_We're not going to let you get hurt.' _Damien said at the same time that Ben said. '_I won't let anyone touch you.'_

Harry jumped across the table to stand between them and be pampered by them both.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Harry made the trip up the dorm rooms on Ben's shoulder and paid very little attention to anything as the boys got ready for bed. That was until Ben had an argument with one of the others, Seamus Finnigan, about the truth behind what was in the papers. Harry rather bluntly put an end to the fight with a very angry trill that silenced the argument on both sides.

Harry settled in to sleep on Ben's headboard as the boy dressed in pyjama bottoms and closed the curtains. He sighed and worked at his face and head with his hands. Harry glided down onto his lap and rubbed his beak against his cheek to get across the point that he was there for him even if he couldn't risk changing back into his human form. Ben looked like he wanted to hug him and it pained them both that he couldn't.

Harry trilled almost too quietly to hear before settling down on the headboard to sleep. Ben might have been able to cope with these emotions on his own but knowing that Harry was there but unable to help made it just that bit harder to cope with the betrayal, suspicion, mocking and fear that Ben was going through.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	9. Fear of the Inevitable

Birth of a Phoenix

Chapter 9; Fear of the Inevitable

Harry woke long before Ben that morning and flapped his wings at the strange sensation of waking up as Eridanus. He waited out the hour till Ben awoke by preening his feathers, gently straightening out the ruffled ones. Phoenixes were different to normal birds in that their feathers never fell out. Their rebirths took care of the life of their feathers and even though Harry had never had a rebirth before didn't mean he was any different.

Ben woke up with a groan as he normally did and Harry glided down to land on his bare stomach. Ben flinched in surprise at the sudden weight and Harry flared his wings to stay stable without digging his claws into Ben's skin. Ben settled down quickly as he realised it was just Harry and he lifted his head and smiled at him. Harry sat down properly, something that birds rarely did, and Ben gently stroked the back of his neck. Harry trilled out gently.

_"You sleep okay?" _Harry asked mentally.

_"Well enough."_ Ben smiled at him.

_"I'm going to go wake up Damy but I'll see you at breakfast."_ Harry promised him. Ben nodded and removed his hand so that Harry could transport away. Harry trilled at him again and did just that.

Damien was sleeping on his side when Harry transported directly above his bed. He glided down and landed on the bed in front of his younger brother before leaning forwards and tugged his beak through the red hair. Damien chuckled, making Harry jump slightly since he hadn't noticed he'd woken.

"Mornin'" Damien grunted and rolled onto his back before he pulled himself up. His curtains were open and he swung his legs out and put his feet on the floor before stretching. "You coming with me to breakfast?"

"Who are you talking to, Damien?" A voice asked from behind closed curtains. The curtains twitched and opened and a brown haired boy poked his head out to take in Damien and Eridanus.

"I was talking to Eridanus, Andy." Damien laughed and half turned to Harry.

"That's your brother's Phoenix isn't it?" A second voice asked. Harry turned to look at a blond boy sitting on a bed opposite Damien's. There were only three beds in the room.

"He hasn't bonded with either of us. He spent equal time with each of us over the summer but I think he'll stick with Ben for most of the time here in school." Damien sighed. Harry trilled calmingly and flapped his wings to cross the room and stop on the dresser.

"I don't envy your brother this year." The unnamed guy offered. "With everything the paper's been saying about him.

"Yeah," Damien winced. "Mum and Dad kept us in the dark about that all summer."

"You weren't surprised when we told you about it yesterday." Andy frowned.

"Eri stole us a few newspapers." Damien laughed. "But don't tell my parents that."

"Oh, I like this bird." The other boy grinned.

"Careful Ryan, he's a bit sensitive about being called a bird." Damien warned. Harry clicked his beak in agreement. He was a bird in truth but he was more than a bird too and his Phoenix side didn't like people to forget it. "So you're coming down to dinner with me?" Damien turned back to Harry.

Harry nodded slowly before settling down to wait for the three boys to shower one after the other and then dress. Eventually, Harry knew he'd have to shower, he didn't get as dirty when in this form but after a few days he could feel the dirt on his human body. If he was going to shower it would be down here rather than in the bathroom shared by five boys. He and Damien would have to work something out so the shower wasn't in use when Damien wasn't in the bathroom, luckily Harry had accepted the openness of his brothers around him.

_"Ben had a fight with Seamus last night before bed."_ Harry told Damien carefully as he rode on Damien's shoulder down through the common room. _"Words were exchanged but Seamus basically called Ben a liar."_

Damien winced knowing that after what happened in the graveyard 'liar' would be one of the few insults that would actually get to Ben. _"I'll deck anybody I hear saying something like that."_

_"I know you will."_Harry purred as he settled his chin on Damien's head. They were attracting stares and whispers as they walked down with Damien's roommates to the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry landed smoothly on the table between Damien and Ben when Damien sat at his oldest brother's side. They ate breakfast in a strange kind of silence though the two brothers were perfectly comfortable together. Ben was interrupted briefly about Quidditch trials but only the arrival of their timetables caused a real stir.

"Look at today!" Ron groaned. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination and double Defence against the Dark Art. Binns, Snape, Trelawney and that Umbridge woman all in one day!"

Harry trilled gently before stealing a strawberry from a dish on the table. It had been there the night before as well, the only strawberry dish in the hall. The House Elves obviously realised Eridanus ate berries, probably at Dumbledore's prompting. "I've got Herbology, Transfiguration, double Care of Magical Creatures over lunch, History of Magic and then Arithmancy." Damien spoke up.

_"I'll go to Herbology with you, Damien, then go to Potions with Ben, Care of Magical Creatures with Damien and then Defence with Ben." _Harry announced. _"I like potions and I'm not leaving either of you alone with Umbridge and I'd like to be outside when I can."_

_"That's fine."_ Damien told him. _"I'm going to head out for some fresh air right now. You coming, Harry?"_

_"Sure."_ Harry jumped over to Ben, nipped on his finger before taking off towards the open upper windows with a regal air that made people stare at him. He sat peacefully in the metal rafters of the greenhouses throughout Damien's Herbology lesson which Professor Sprout really didn't mind.

He transported himself to Ben as soon as he had said a quick goodbye to Damien and reappeared in the middle of a courtyard within the school. There was about a dozen students enjoying a quick breath of fresh air in the gap between the first and second period and Harry easily spotted Ben walking along with Ron and Hermione.

He swooped down under the covered walkway that edged the courtyard and flapped his wings in Ben's face before lightly settling down on his shoulder. Ron had leapt about four foot away and seemed to be planning to keep that distance for the foreseeable future. "Ron, that's just ridiculous." Ben laughed at the sour look on Ron's face.

"He bit me!" Ron declared.

"Ron, you called him a pigeon." Hermione reprimanded him. "How would you like it if somebody called you a monkey?"

"It's a bird, Hermione. It can't think like that." Ron lectured. Harry trilled out a warning and Ben chuckled.

"Remember what he did to Pig, Ron." Ben reminded him. "He was talking to Hedwig and Thor in the train, it's obvious birds aren't as stupid as you think. And yes, Eri, I know you're not just a bird." He added hastily as Harry clicked his beak.

"Well, he's a beautiful Phoenix." Hermione grinned. "I bought a few books about them in Diagon Alley, you wouldn't believe how little is actually known about where they come from. Nobody knows how they are born and even less is known about why they choose to bond with Wizards. They never give a reason to their bonded or tell them any of the secrets Wizards have been trying to discover for centuries."

"So, now you're saying they can talk?" Ron asked before amending himself after the reminder about Hedwig and Thor. "I mean to humans."

"It's well known that they can talk telepathically to their bonded. I'd guess that Fawkes can talk to the Headmaster." Hermione pointed out. "Ben? Can he talk to you?"

"Not that I know of." Ben shrugged. They'd decided not to let it seem like he had bonded to either Ben or Damien so that it wasn't odd to hang around them both and also because they didn't know what kind of effects they'd have to pretend if they were bonded. Only Dumbledore would know that and they could fall into a trap if they tried to pretend. Hermione was interrupted from responding when a girl walked around the corner and saw them. She started heading towards them but Harry didn't recognise her.

"Hello Ben." She smiled at his brother.

"Hi." Ben finished lamely. Harry trilled in irritation. "Sorry, Eri, this is Cho Chang." Harry looked at him and almost trilled out in amusement. Ben's face was heating up. "So, er...did you have a good summer?"

"Oh," Cho winced and Harry got confused. "It was all right, you know..." She seemed as nervous in this conversation as Ben did.

"Is that a Tornados badge?" Ron suddenly blurted into the conversation. "You don't support them do you?"

"Yeah, I do." Cho became defensive.

"Have you always supported them, or just since they started winning the league?" Ron demanded accusingly.

"I've supported them since I was six." Cho replied coldly. "Anyway, see you, Ben."

She walked off and Hermione instantly turned on Ron with an angry glare. _"What's with her?"_ Harry asked.

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Okay, Benji, I've had zero experience with girls but even I can see there's something awkward between you t__w__o. How come you didn't mention her to me?"_ Harry knew he sounded rather wounded by the end and relaxed as Ben's hand instantly came up to stroke his chest feathers.

_"It's just a little thing last year. I had...okay, have a crush on her but she went out with Cedric last year. Now, I don't know what's happening."_ Ben admitted with a wince.

_"Oh, that's awkward."_ Harry agreed.

_"Thanks."_ Ben rolled his eyes and Harry leant in and tugged a lock of the red streaked hair through his beak. The bell rang and the three walked down towards the Dungeons even while Ron and Hermione argued about his tactless comments to Cho. Harry could almost see that bubble of hope building inside Ben after his meeting with Cho and Harry hoped it went well for him but something about the girl nagged at him and made him unsure about her. It wasn't at all like with the imposter last term but it was there.

They were admitted into Snape's classroom by the dark robed professor rather coldly and told to sit down. Ben sat between his previously arguing friends at the back of the classroom and Harry settled down to pay attention. Herbology had been fun since he could understand the class with the knowledge taught to him by Perenelle who was a master in the field just like her and her husband had been masters in anything to do with Alchemy. Potions too held a certain charm for Harry who was a natural at it. Neither needed a wand or his own magic which meant it didn't pain him to do it.

"Before we begin today's lesson," Snape began, he swept his gaze over them all and they settled for a moment on Harry and his forehead creased. "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your OWL, or suffer my...displeasure."

Harry couldn't stop the trill of amusement from escaping. Evidently everything his brothers had told him about Snape was true. He was unpleasant at the very least. Snape continued after glaring at Harry. "After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me. I take only the very best into my NEWT Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye." His eyes narrowed on Ben and Harry couldn't help but think rather smugly that with his help, Ben could easily get an Outstanding in Potions this year even though he knew Ben wanted to give up Potions after this year.

"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell so whether or not you are intending to attempt NEWT, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students," Snape continued. "Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level; The Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and smooth agitation."

Harry tuned out the brief explanation and scanned the board only to check it was the same potion that he'd been able to brew with his eyes closed three years ago. Harry glided off of Ben's shoulder and settled on the edge of the cauldron as it heated over the fire.

"Mr Potter." Snape drawled silkily after about five minutes while the water in the cauldron was still heating up. Harry turned to look at him. "The Headmaster has...requested...that this Phoenix stay with you while in classes and though I am loathe to accept such a thing in _my_ classroom I have little choice but I assure you I will dissect him and use him for a potion if he ever gets in my way."

Harry trilled angrily and clicked his beak at the man angrily. _"I'll give you potions ingredients you greasy bat. There are enough in your hair to make this potion!"_ Harry insulted mentally and Ben choked.

"What was that, Mr Potter?" Snape raised an eyebrow at him though his eyes flickered to Harry quickly.

"Nothing Sir." Ben apologised. "Just caught a nasty smell and choked."

_"I wonder where the smell came from."_ Harry pointed out bluntly and Ben bit his lip. Snape cast Harry one last look before turning and walking back to the front.

_"Harry! Don't do stuff like that!"_ Ben demanded. _"You'll get us caught."_

_"I'm not going to let him threaten to dissect me, Benji."_ Harry pointed out.

_"I wouldn't let him do that."_ Ben sighed and stroked his feathers.

"Eridanus, aren't you going to burn standing on there?" Hermione suddenly asked while the three began working on their individual potions. Ron was already cutting his first batch the wrong way.

Harry shook his head at her but let Ben explain even as he pointed Ron's growing mistake out to him. "He's a Phoenix, Hermione. He'll be fine and Ron, you're cutting those the wrong way."

Hermione blinked first at Ben and the at Ron before taking over the dicing of Ron's ingredients as well as her own with sure hands. Harry watched the potion being mixed carefully throughout the lesson reciting in his head, and Ben's, why each ingredient was used and why it was done in that way. Ben complained at the start but resigned himself after realising that Harry loved potions.

_"Why do you love Potions? I hate it."_ Ben complained.

_"I love it because I'm good at it and it doesn't need a wand." _Harry explained. _"If you had a different teacher maybe you'd enjoy it too. See if you can steal some of those __Finch roots that you're using."_

_"Why?"_ Ben asked.

_"We need them for the __Animagus__ potion."_ Harry pointed out. _"I'll see if I can get the rest this week in lessons and steal the rest for this weekend__."_

_"How are you going to brew it if you can't change form?"_

_"I'll have to do it back at the manor. It'll only take three hours of actual brewing in three different times over two days."_ Harry explained. _"Finding you and Damien a place to practice might be a bit more difficult though.__ You need to stir the potion now, Benji, before it goes grey."_

Ben blinked and lifted the spoon to stir it gently as the board instructed. The potion was tricky because it was hard to keep up with the instructions on the board, preparing the ingredients and making the potion all at the same time. Harry however could have done it in his sleep.

"A light silver vapour should now be rising from your potion," Snape called from the front of the classroom. Ben's and Hermione's potion was steaming correctly but Ron's potion was slightly off but as Snape approached he glared at Ben's potion with distaste. "Potter, what is this supposed to be?"

There were snickers from the front of the class. "The Draught of Peace." Ben said. Harry glanced at the potion again but new it was perfect.

"Perhaps then, you cannot read as well as you claim. This is too thick which means this mess is worthless." Harry snapped his beak in affront at the accusation as Ben's potion was insulted with no cause. It was a perfect potion, it only showed the signs of being made by a person not previously knowledgeable about the potion. "And I suppose your Phoenix knows more about potions than I do."

_"To__o__ right you slimy git! The potion's perfect and you know it!" _Harry snapped angrily. The man was coming up with reasons to show Ben up and that pissed Harry off. He flapped his wings angrily.

"I thought not." Snape stated uncaring to Harry's anger. He pulled his wand and pointed it at the potion. _"__Evanesco__!"_ The potion vanished leaving behind no evidence to Ben's success as Snape failed him. Even the worst potions in the room could score something but Ben would get zero purely because he had no potion remaining. It was cheating and Harry was furious.

Ben's hands closed around Harry's agitated form carefully and Harry realised he'd been trilling harshly under his breath for almost five minutes while the class packed up. "Forget it, Eri." Ben told him aloud as he carried him out of the room.

"How can you say that, Ben?" Ron blurted out. "You're potion was just as good as Hermione's and he vanished it just so he could fail you."

"Ron's right, Ben." Hermione said. "He had no right to do that to you. It's underhanded and it's cheating. You should tell McGonagall."

"I'm not going to just go blab to a teacher because Snape hates me." Ben sighed and lifted Harry up onto his shoulder. "I'm taking the highroad in this."

_"Well__ I'm not."_ Harry grumbled before flapping his wings.

"No, Eri." Ben sighed. "Forget about it."

Harry wasn't having it though and spread his wings to fly up into the air into the entrance hall. "Where's he going?" Ron asked.

"Probably to complain to Fawkes, I assume they can talk." Ben guessed right. "And Fawkes can talk to Dumbledore. Eri, forget it!" Ben called after him but Harry just trilled angrily and transported himself away.

He reappeared in the headmaster's office to the shock of both Dumbledore and McGonagall who seemed to be drinking tea and preparing for lunch. Obviously the Transfiguration professor hadn't had a third period. Harry landed heavily next to Fawkes on his perch and realised yet again how young he actually looked in this form since Fawkes was a good four inches longer than he was with a huge splay of tail feathers and his feathers had much less down in them.

_"What has angered you?"_ Fawkes asked him with a low trill for emphasis.

Harry ranted about Snape adding some rather un-Phoenix like insults along the way and didn't realise Dumbledore and McGonagall had stopped their conversation to listen to the angry trills and chirps. "What has gotten into him?" McGonagall wondered and Harry turned to look at her even as he finished telling Fawkes about the injustice.

Dumbledore studied Fawkes for a minute before sighing and Harry knew more than heard that Fawkes had relayed the story just as he'd hoped. "It seems Severus has upset the Potter brothers new Phoenix."

"Why does that not surprise me?" McGonagall moaned lifting a hand to her temple to rub there for a moment. "What did he say to Benjamin this time?"

"It is more what he did than what he said." Dumbledore explained. "It seems that young Benjamin completed the Draught of Peace without error in his first Potions class but Severus insulted the potion and failed him for it. What's worse he vanished the potion and failed Benjamin rather than just marking him down."

"That's atrocious." McGonagall snapped. "Even if it was slightly wrong he shouldn't have simply vanished it. Even a partial..."

She trailed off as Harry flapped at her and trilled angrily. Dumbledore shook his head. "Please, Eridanus, I believe you." He turned to McGonagall. "According to Fawkes, Eridanus says that the potion was perfect. Severus made up a fault and then failed him."

"That's contemptible." McGonagall shook her head. "If Benjamin is capable of brewing an advanced potion like the Draught of Peace he should be credited for it, not insulted out of turn and then failed for an imaginary offence."

"Please, Minerva." Dumbledore sighed. "Severus has his faults and I'm aware that they are directed mainly at the Potter brothers but there is little I can do about it. Severus is needed here, faults and all."

"If he breaks Benjamin's spirit with all of this...childish behaviour...I will turn him into something as atrocious as his actions." McGonagall snapped. Harry trilled in agreement and she smiled smugly in Harry's direction.

Dumbledore sighed and drunk from his cup. "I will have a talk with Severus but I don't see that it will do any good."

"At least tell him to keep his hate within school rules. He is not to make up faults where there are none." McGonagall told him.

"I'm afraid arguing faults in a no longer existent potion may be rather difficult with Severus. Even if Eridanus swears the potion to be perfect." Dumbledore sighed again wearily. Fawkes trilled gently and the old wizard smiled again.

"How is it that a Phoenix knows the difference between a working potion and a ruined one anyway?" McGonagall asked.

"My dear, Minerva." Dumbledore smiled properly at the deputy head. "Fawkes was Godric Gryffindor's familiar and a number of people's after that. He is constantly pointing out flaws in my wand work, even in alchemy and transfiguration. I don't know where such a young Phoenix as Eridanus came by such Potions knowledge but by his explanation to Fawkes about the Draught of Peace he obviously did."

_"Yes, young one."_ Fawkes suddenly said to him. _"Who was it that taught you the ways of potions?"_

_"I can't answer that one."_ Harry defended. He couldn't let a real Phoenix know what he was. Fawkes would tell Dumbledore and he'd tell his parents who'd lock him up in a room again for his brother's 'happiness'. He was coming around to his parents a bit because of the way they loved his siblings but he could never really forgive them for what they'd done no matter the motives behind it.

_"You fool me not, young one."_ Fawkes laughed at him with a gently humorous trill. _"All like us were once as young as you." _There seemed to be something lingering behind Fawkes' words but it was clear Fawkes was letting the matter drop even though Harry wouldn't in his position. _"Though I believe you were taught by Nicolas Flamel and his wife."_ Fawkes suddenly concluded. _"Am I wrong, little one?"_

Harry barely found the strength to concede that fact. _"How do you know that?"_

_"You appeared at Hogwarts only a little after Nicolas died. My bonded was much saddened by his death. He is the only one that could have taught you potions and his death fits the timing so well. As well as other factors."_ Fawkes was amused again and Harry ducked his head under his wing. _"I will tell my bonded who taught you, it will warm his heart to hear that Nicolas was not alone at his last moments. He so regrets that he died alone and to hear that a Phoenix sat at his bed sid__e will__ fill him with happiness."_

Harry looked up at Fawkes who seemed to be waiting for permission before he did as he said. Harry didn't see the harm in it, it wouldn't lead Dumbledore to his true identity in any way and Dumbledore looked far more tired and weary than he had at the Order meeting after the Dementor attack. Fawkes looked back at the Headmaster and a brief conversation passed between them for about twenty seconds before a relieved smile spread across the old Wizards face and he settled back in his chair with a happy sigh.

"Albus?" McGonagall questioned. "What did he say?"

"It seems Fawkes learnt that our new Phoenix here was once a friend of Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel. Thus he learnt about potions from a true master of the art far beyond even Severus' talent." Dumbledore told her. "Fawkes tells me that Eridanus was at their sides when they died. In fact he must have come from Nicolas' bedside before the final task last year. It does warm my old heart to hear he was not alone. I had meant to visit him after the tournament and when I eventually could get away from the school it was to hear of his death."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Albus." McGonagall apologised for no reason. "I know you wanted to be at his side when he passed away."

"It can't always be that way I supposed but at least one beacon of light was there at the time."

Harry almost laughed. It was the first time he'd been called a beacon of light. The humour faded though when a wave of anger and irritation passed through him with enough force to make him shake and he trilled out in a displeased way.

_"It is your bonded."_ Fawkes suddenly told him.

_"I do not yet have a bonded."_ Harry told him automatically. Fawkes just trilled at him with humour. Harry figured that Fawkes was right though, that had come through the link with his twin but Harry figured that it was about Snape. He glanced up at the wall and saw that lunch was coming to an end so he spread his wings and flew over to the window. He stopped at the closed glass and turned to look at the two humans expectantly. Dumbledore smiled at him and flicked his wand at the window making it spring open. Harry chirped out in thanks and glided out of the tower window and down over the grounds.

He made his way to where Damien had told him his Care of Magical Creatures lecture would be and found the cages on the lawn in front of the Groundskeeper's hut. Hagrid's hut according to Damien and Ben who both loved the half-giant tremendously. Harry spiralled down and landed on the top of a cage filled with wood nymphs, a small variation of pixies that were much more likeable. They chattered at him in excitement and Harry could just make out little phrases but they talked over one another so he couldn't pick out everything. He'd have to come to all of the Care of Magical Creatures lessons and find out which other creatures he could talk to.

He reached out to the shared link with Ben and sent out his thoughts. _"Ben? Are you okay?"_

_"Of course I'm okay, Harry."_ Ben was a bit more snappy than usual.

_"No. I'm your twin, Ben. You're angry and irritated."_ Harry told him. _"I felt your anger__. What happened?"_

_"Ron and Hermione were bickering about Snape's allegiances."_ Ben told him.

_"You know even Dad believes in Snape's trustworthiness."_ Harry pointed out.

_"Don't start, Harry." _Ben snapped.

_"Don't shout at me please, Ben. I'm just worried about you." _Harry snapped back.

There was a rather long pause before Ben came back. _"I'm sorry, Harry. Can we just drop this please? I'm not irritated at you, I just have a headache and I have Divination next."_

_"You want me to come up to you?"_

_"No, you told Damy you'd be with him and I know you want to explore the other magical creatures." _Ben sighed though it was obvious he wanted nothing more than to cuddle up to Harry. _"Don't worry about me, Harry. I love you."_

_"I'm your twin, Benji, I'll always worry about you."_ Harry chuckled. _"I love you too."_

Harry came back to reality to see himself looking straight at the huge form of Hagrid. He flared his wings in surprise and trilled out indignantly. "Sorry boy." Hagrid grinned widely. "Thought you might be sleepin'." Harry trilled out again though this time in acceptance. "So you come to watch my class? Oh, of course, little Damy is in it. You guard those two good now. They need all the support they can get."

Harry trilled out happily and nipped at a little hand that had suddenly reached out of the cage below him and grabbed his clawed foot. The little nymph squealed at him angrily and went back to muttering about him with the others. Harry sent them an un-amused trill and proceeded to change perch to another cage a few metres away before they could retaliate. Hagrid was chuckling. "Now, I don't suppose I can convince you to come to all my lessons as an example but perhaps Ben's next lesson?"

Harry pretended to think about it but then trilled out in agreement to the half-giant. "Excellent." Harry heard the sound of footsteps coming down over the grass and turned to see a group of third year student's approaching. Damien was amongst one of the groups and the others were wearing Ravenclaw ties. Harry turned back in time to see Hagrid reach over to feel his feathers and though his brothers liked the giant he wasn't yet sure about him and didn't really want anybody getting the wrong idea about how cute and fluffy he was. He lashed out and bit solidly into his finger.

Hagrid yelped and jumped back sucking on his finger but he didn't look all that angry. "I should have listened to Damien. No, I don't blame you, you're young and as long as you protect those boys you're alright in my book." Hagrid declared as he wrapped a stained handkerchief around his finger.

"You didn't try to stroke him did you, Hagrid?" Damien laughed as he as his dorm mates arrived with two other Gryffindor girls.

"I'm afraid so." Hagrid winced.

"It's nothing personal, Hagrid. He's like that to everybody but me, Ben, 'Cacia and Crissy." Damien apologised and lifted his arm to Harry. Harry chirped and flew over and landed on his arm before moving up onto his shoulder. He preened Damien's hair in greeting before snapping at one of the girls with his beak when she gushed over him and reached out to pet him. "He doesn't like being petted, Mel." Damien warned the girl. "And he doesn't like being touched by anyone but me, Ben and my sisters."

Harry rode out the class on Damien's shoulder or on the grass in front of him when they were studying the Nymphs in their cage. It wasn't until they were nearing the end of the class when one of the Nymphs managed to break out and leapt at Harry chattering away happily all the while. Harry jumped backwards and tried to take off but the irritating little Nymph was far too fast and clung to his leg. Harry trilled angrily and glared at Damien who was rolling around on the floor laughing. Harry took off and flew a tight circle to try to shake off the little creature and it stilled in fear at finding itself ten feet above the ground. Harry dropped it on the cage and landed on Damien's chest and refused to move even when Damien became the contrite little brother. Hagrid told Damien off for making fun of the beautiful Phoenix but Harry didn't move until the bell rang. He pecked Damien on the chest and tugged on his hair before winging away and transporting himself to Ben.

_"What's wrong with you?"_ Ben asked in amusement as Harry landed rather heavily on his shoulder as they walked down through the corridors from Divination class.

_"Damien was laughing at me."_ Harry announced to both him and Damien.

_"It was hilarious though."_ Damien defended._ "If you'd seen the cute little Wood Nymph harassing the mighty Phoenix you would have laughed too. The whole class was laughing."_

_"That does sound funny."_ Ben ducked his head as Harry pecked at him. _"I mean, that was very__ mean of you Damien, teasing our__ mighty brother when he's obviously got a fear of little woodland creatures."_

_"I'm not talking to either of you anymore."_ Harry declared and buried his head under his left wing. He tightened his claws to maintain a firm standing and felt Ben wince at the added pressure.

_"It's going to get really lonely for you then."_ Damien laughed.

_"Damy, please don't tease him, he's already digging his claws through my robes." _Ben told him. Damien laughed but his thoughts left as they turned to his approaching class. Ben began gently stroking Harry's right wing as he and Ron walked in silence through the halls. Harry could tell that things were tense between the two from Ben's anger earlier but it wouldn't last all that long.

They entered Defence Against the Dark Arts class to find the horrible toad like woman sitting behind her desk. She was wearing an outfit of pink that made Harry want to throw up. A ribbon sat in her hair. _"That looks like a fly perched on a toad."_ Ben commented blandly making Harry laugh and trill in amusement.

"There's no pets in the classroom, Mr Potter." Umbridge told him without emotion and in a quiet voice that made it clear the class had yet to start.

"He's not really a pet, Professor, and I haven't been able to order him to do anything yet." Ben apologised without sincerity though the woman clearly didn't notice that.

"If it really won't leave the room, it will have to sit by the window and not interrupt." She announced slightly louder, she had everybody's attention now. Harry ruffled himself up at being called an 'it'. He didn't move. "Mr Potter? The window please."

Harry didn't plan on letting her order him around so he let Ben carry him to the window and only got off at Ben's silently pleading look. Harry huffed and flew up to perch on the sill of one of the windows nearer to the roof. Umbridge plastered a smile on her face as soon as Ben sat down. "Good afternoon, class." She announced.

This sudden change of attitude threw everybody but a low unexcited greeting was returned. "Now, that just won't do, will it?" She sighed. "I should like you, please, to reply "Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge". One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge." They all chanted back and again she seemed to miss the sarcasm in their voices.

"There now, that wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please." She announced. Harry groaned mentally and ducked his head under his wing. He didn't plan on tuning out the lesson entirely but he doubted it would be of any interest. Since he couldn't use magic through a wand without bring on pain he had had more than his share of theoretical lessons. Even Perenelle had gotten bored of teaching him theory but at least they'd had a reason for doing it that way.

Harry hadn't even realised he'd fallen to sleep on his perch when he was jerked awake as he felt irritation flood his link to his twin. He looked down at Ben but didn't alert them to his state. "So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting for us out there?" Ben was asking angrily.

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr Potter." Umbridge pointed out.

"Oh yeah?" Ben was almost throbbing with anger at this point but Harry stayed out of it. He was seconds away from cracking.

"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" She asked in a rather patronising tone which clearly didn't calm Ben down. Harry trilled out to try to calm him but apart from a few students looking up at him in surprise nobody reacted to him.

"Hmm, let's think..." Ben paused theatrically. "Maybe, Lord Voldemort?"

Ron gasped in shock while Lavender Brown screamed and Neville slipped right off his chair and onto the floor. It was the change that came over Umbridge that made Harry worried. She looked satisfied and Harry realised that she'd goaded Ben into reacting this way, or at least was using the opportunity to enact a plan she had. "Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Potter." She was mistaken though if she thought Ben gave a damn about house points anymore though. "Now let me make a few things quite plain. You have been told that certain Dark Wizards has returned from the dead..."

"He wasn't dead!" Ben snapped angrily. "But yeah, he's returned."

"Mr Potter. You have already lost ten points, do not make matters worse for yourself." She retorted without even looking at him. "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark Wizard is at large once again. This is a _lie."_

There was that word again. The one insult that Ben really couldn't stomach. "It is _not_ a lie!" Ben snarled. "I saw him, I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr Potter." She seemed ridiculously pleased by this and Harry trilled out warningly. "Tomorrow evening, five o'clock, my office." She told him before turning back to the class. "I repeat, this is a _lie_. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark Wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn Dark Wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, "Basics for Beginners"."

Ben stood up even as Umbridge sat behind her desk. Everybody turned to look at him. "Ben. No." Hermione hissed at him but Ben was only glaring at Umbridge.

"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" Ben asked harshly. Harry trilled again but except for a flinch from Ben he was ignored. Ben obviously wasn't in a consoling mood.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident." She stated coldly.

"It was murder." Ben snapped just as coldly. Harry could easily see the small tremors that ran down his twins body. "Voldemort killed him and you know it."

Umbridge stared at Ben with a completely blank face. "Come here, Mr Potter dear." She requested in a suddenly very sweet, soft, voice. Ben kicked aside his chair and walked up to her desk angrily. She handed him a pink slip of paper after she wrote a few lines on it hastily. "Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear." She told him and handed him the note.

Ben snatched the note, turned back to his desk and snatched up his books and bag before storming out the door slamming it behind him. Harry glided down from the rafters and angrily swiped at the stupid bow tied in Umbridge's hair. He tore it up in his talons even as he transported himself out of the room and into the corridor Ben was walking down. He didn't care if that pissed Umbridge off, he'd do it anyway to defend his big brother.

He landed on Ben's shoulder and pushed the side of his beak into Ben's cheek. "Not now, Eri." Ben snapped though the anger wasn't directed at Harry and he knew it. "I've got to go to McGonagall."

Harry trilled out sadly and pushed his beak into Ben's cheek again forcing Ben to stroke him gently as he walked through the halls. They were interrupted by a cackling ghost that suddenly appeared out of the floor in front of them. "Why, it's Potty Wee Potter!" The ghost cackled.

"Get out of it, Peeves." Harry had heard about this ghost and tightened his grip on Ben when the boy had to duck back to avoid an exploded inkwell that landed near his feet.

"Oooh, Crackpot's feeling cranky." Peeves teased and Harry felt his brother's anger welling up again. After a summer of peace and happiness he was surprised at how easily Ben lost control of his anger though with everything that had happened in the last day he wasn't surprised. "What is it this time, my fine Potty friend? Hearing voices? Seeing visions? Speaking in tongues?"

Being called insane wasn't good for Ben's temper. "I said leave me _alone_!" Ben shouted angrily running passed the ghost even as it started singing.

Harry dove into the air and dive bombed the ghost feeling surprise go through him as his talons met solid skin on the ghost's shoulder. The ghost screamed in surprised pain and dove out of the way just as a door slammed open and McGonagall charged out of her office and took in the scene of a yelping Peeves trying to run from an irate Eridanus. Harry came up short and Peeves took the opportunity to dive through a wall.

"What are you doing out here, Potter?" McGonagall asked Ben even as Harry landed back on his shoulder and pushed his beak up under Ben's cheek again trying to soothe him again.

"I've been sent to see you." Ben told her rather stiffly.

"Sent?" She frowned. "What do you mean, sent?"

Harry pushed his beak into Ben once more. _"I'm going to leave you with McGonagall for a while and go annoy Damien." _He told him. _"Call for me when she lets you go?"_

Ben stroked him in way of answering and Harry took off and transported away from the corridor to find Damien. He was in his History of Magic class and Harry's appearance awoke the entire class which all seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Binns, the ghost teacher, didn't even notice as Harry appeared but Harry decided to test something and he glided down and landed on the ghost's shoulder and shook himself slightly as he realised that obviously Phoenixes could interact with ghosts which was obviously news to him and everybody else in the class. What really amused him though was that Binns didn't even notice.

Damien made a come hither gesture and Harry glided off the professors shoulder and swooped over to land on Damien's desk. He was now the centre of attention for the previously bored class. _"Did you leave Ben with Umbridge?"_

_"That bitch kicked him out of class."_ Harry told him wearily. _"He lost his temper when she called him a liar for saying that Voldemort was back and he threw a fit at her. He's with McGonagall."_

_"I should go to him." _Damien looked unsure.

_"I will as soon as __he calls to say he's finished talking to her." _Harry promised. _"We'll have the dorm to ourselves and I can change form without worrying."_

_"I could skive off next period."_ Damien offered. With his staring contest with Harry the class had lost interest and seemed to be settling down for the second half of their period of sleeping.

_"You can't miss your first Arithmancy lesson."_ Harry told him. _"He'll be okay, he's just being rather short tempered lately."_

_"I've noticed but I'm not really surprised."_ Damien sighed and leaned his head on his hand while the other came up to stroke Harry. Damien leaned back in the chair and Harry dropped down into his lap to be pampered by his younger brother.

After almost the entire class Harry head Ben calling to him. He tracked Ben through to the Gryffindor common room and lightly pecked at Damien's tie in way of farewell._ "Tell him I love him."_ Damien requested, he obviously knew how angry Ben would be after a run in like this.

Harry nodded his head, jumped into the air and transported out of a suddenly very alert room. He found Ben sprawled out on the sofa in the common room and landed lightly on the back of the chair. "Hello." Ben greeted without bothering to get up.

Harry trilled out in concern. _"Come on Benji. You need a nap."_

_"I don't need a nap, Harry."_

_"Yes you do. I order you to go up to the dorm and get some rest."_ Harry ordered. _"And you have to do what I say because I'm your little brother."_

_"That's the worst reasoning I've ever heard." _Ben countered without moving.

_"Will you please just do as I ask?"_ Harry snapped and regretted it as Ben closed off his expression. He stood up sharply and headed for the stairs doing what he was told. Harry trilled out an apology but Ben just ignored him and disappeared up the stairs. Harry took off and followed him up before settling on his shoulder just as they entered the dorm room. _"Lock the door with the charm in chapter nine of the book."_

Ben gave him a strange look but pulled his wand. He frowned as he recanted the spell in his head before he turned and focused on the door. He did it silently but it worked perfectly and the door glowed a fierce red on both sides. Anybody that touched it would be shocked and you couldn't hear through it and only the most powerful spells could open it.

"Why did I just do that?" Ben asked.

_"Do it to the windows too."_ Harry ordered. Ben frowned up at him but did as he was told. He sighed out tiredly after he'd done the three windows which now glowed red, they could no longer see out of them but nobody could see, enter or hear through them from the outside either. _"This is why."_ Harry told him before gliding down to the floor. He changed form and stretched as he turned around to face his older brother. His body ached like nothing else but he was glad to be back in his human body with his brother.

"Harry!?" Ben gasped. "What are you doing?"

"Nobody can get in here now and everybody will be in classes till dinner." Harry told him levelly. "And no matter the risks involved you need a brother right now and I'm it."

"What do you mean? I need a brother?" Ben frowned at him acting rather oblivious.

"Ben." Harry sighed and shook his head. "After what Snape did to you this morning, with losing your temper at Ron and Hermione, after being called a liar by that bitch of a professor and everything else that's happening to you including what Seamus said last night. You need me like this and I'd do far more risky things for you for much less reason."

Ben sagged slightly and sat on the end of his bed. "You're sure you're safe like this?"

"The rest of the boys in this dorm won't be getting out of that classroom for another hour and a half and Damien knows what I'm planning. Nobody else will bother to come up here and check on you and even if somebody sees the door, Dumbledore knows you know this spell and nobody would blame you for wanting peace and quiet." Harry shrugged. "I can turn back into Eri in a fraction of the time it takes somebody to break that spell."

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks Harry." Ben smiled up at him but it was a weak smile.

"Damien told me to tell you he loves you." Harry told him and sat on the bed beside him.

"I know he does." Ben sighed. "I'm glad you chose this year to come back. I'd imagine I might have killed Umbridge today if I hadn't known you were there."

Harry laughed and lay back on the bed in invitation. Ben curled up at his side and placed his head on Harry's chest with a loud sigh. "I love you Ben. You know that right?" Ben nodded. "Sometimes I regret leaving but then I remember that if I hadn't I'd be dead right now and you _would_ know I was dead."

Ben shuddered. "Don't talk like that."

Harry's chest caught and he sat up with a start. Ben frowned for a moment then winced wildly and went pale even as Harry gasped and fumbled for his tub of pills. He knew if he concentrated on cutting the pain to Ben it would take longer to get the pills so he let his pain flow to Ben freely knowing his twin would forgive him. He swallowed two pills quickly and shut his eyes and breathed deeply until they took effect and cut the pain rapidly to a dull ache that Ben couldn't feel. His twin was rubbing at his chest unconsciously even as he watched Harry with the deepest level of concern on his face.

"Ben." Harry sighed regretfully. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Something?" Ben frowned suspiciously.

"It's not going to happen until after Voldemort's gone. I won't let it happen but I have to be realistic." Harry told him. "I'm not meant to be alive and it's going to catch up with me."

"I don't want to talk about this." Ben huffed and collapsed on his back on the bed. Harry sighed and sat cross legged at his waist facing his older twin.

"Well then I'll talk and you can listen." Harry told him. Ben shuttered his eyes but then opened them again to look at Harry. His eyes were wet. Even after everything that had gone on today, people calling him a liar and so on, he hadn't cried but talking about Harry's death would do just that. "Look, Ben. I don't get the minor seizures like that one while a Phoenix but no matter what form I'm in I still get hit by the big ones and they hit every six months. If I'm a Phoenix I get slammed out of my form and each time they last longer and are more painful. Eventually one of them is going to kill me and we both know it."

"_Don't_ talk like that, Harry!" Ben snapped. "It won't help."

"Not talking about it won't help either, Benji." Harry sighed and grabbed one of his brother's hand showing Ben again just how cold his hands always were. They were trembling slightly. He knew it shocked Ben and Damien every time he was human just how weak he was. "I _will _die, Ben. I've known that for as long as I can remember. I've just found a way to prolong it so that you won't be alone when you kill Voldemort."

Ben refused to speak and shut his eyes again. Harry sighed explosively and lay down beside him. Ben shifted instantly and lay his head on Harry's chest. "I know all of this, Harry. Don't forget I feel it every time you've had a seizure around me. I know how they feel and I feel your despair every time it happened." Ben ignored the flinch from Harry as he said this. Harry hadn't realised he's transmitted that. "I'm not going to let you go without a fight. I'll be at your side the entire way. You want to help me fight my battles? Well as much as I fear and hate Voldemort, I fear and hate your illness even more and I'll fight even harder for you."

Harry was touched by the words and he leaned down to nestle his face in his big brother's hair sighing out in relief but deep down he knew that Ben would have to face Harry's death eventually but he'd let Ben dream for the time being. He'd let Ben ignore the inevitable if it gave him a little bit of hope.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	10. Maliciousness and Retribution

Birth of a Phoenix

Chapter 10; Maliciousness and Retribution

**Hogwarts – Fifth Year Dormitory**

Harry woke up long before the sun started to rise before of a nagging itching in his chest. His bones ached but he didn't regret the night as himself. He pulled himself up away from the covers and changed form before he could wake his twin up. As Eridanus he landed lightly on the bed beside his twin and thought over their conversation of the night before. Harry had to admit that ever since coming back to his family he'd put aside the fact he was dying but he knew it was inevitable, even with the reprieve his Phoenix Animagus form gave him.

It did make him happy that his twin was going to fight his illness to the end but he didn't want Ben to lose his own life and happiness fighting a losing battle. Ben would have to admit defeat at some point and Harry hoped it was sooner rather than later if later was too late for his brother to recover.

Harry woke Ben up in time for him to get ready for breakfast and since they were inevitably late Harry rode down on Ben's shoulder on the distant trail of the other Gryffindors but almost as soon as they entered the Great Hall Harry wished they'd stayed up in the common room. The hall went briefly silent before people all began leaning in towards each other to whisper and glance up at Ben as he crossed the room to sit with Hermione, Ron and Damien. Damien gave him a small grimace in greeting.

"What the hell is all of this?" Ben asked perhaps more harshly than was required.

Hermione treated him to a small glare but answered all the same. "Everybody heard about what happened yesterday in class."

Harry took a small strawberry that Damien held out to him before turning his head slowly around to narrow his eyes angrily at a comment he heard from a few spaces down the table. Ben tensed so Harry leant his head to the side to brush his feathers across his forehead. He took to laying his beak and head on top of Ben's rather unruly hair and felt Ben relax at the reminder he was there.

_"Where are you going to spend today?"_ Ben asked him as people began to leave. Harry lifted his head and looked between Ben and Damien.

_"I'll go outside with Damy for his Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology."_ Harry told them both but kept it as a question in case Ben wanted him to stay with him. Ben nodded his head slightly in agreement and Harry nibbled on his hair slightly. _"Call me if you need me?"_

_"And show people we can talk to each other?"_ Ben asked silently.

_"I'll be subtle in coming."_ Harry promised just as Damien stood. Harry straightened up and with a couple of bursts from his wings he flew up onto Damien's shoulder for a ride. _"Try to talk to your friends, Benji."_

He got a dissatisfied grunt in return but as Damien and he were leaving the room he turned his head to see Ben trying to hold a conversation with his two friends who were still trying to ignore each other.

The morning went by more or less peacefully and Harry napped his way through Damien's Care of Magical Creatures lesson perched on a tree branch while Damien learnt about a less than exciting breed of grass snake. Herbology was a little more interesting since they touched on potions ingredients but Harry knew how to grow most common ingredients.

He teleported away from Damien when he arrived late to lunch and Ben had already eaten and left and found his twin buried in books in the library with Ron at his side. _"Where's Hermione?"_

_"How would I know?"_ Ben snapped before being able to stop himself.

Harry landed as if his twin hadn't snapped at him and looked down at the essay Ben was attempting to write. _"I take it she's still annoyed at Ron for his slight against those horrid hats?"_

_"Whatever, Harry."_ Ben grouched. _"Are you going to help me or just stand on my essay?"_

Harry looked up at him and trilled out calmingly and saw both Ben and Ron relax slightly. _"The uses of Moonstone?"_ Harry sighed and jumped up onto a stack of books so that Ben could write before he started helping Ben along without letting Ron know where Ben was getting his help from.

Their return to Care of Magical Creatures that afternoon led to Harry once against napping in the same tree as before, this time to avoid the Bowtruckles that Hagrid had brought to class. The class actually seemed to go well apart from the odd comments from the Slytherins that made Ben's temper slowly rise. It wasn't until near the end of class that Harry decided to get involved when Ben's temper flared violently followed by a stab of pain that Harry knew originated from Ben's hand. Harry flared his wings and dropped down onto his twins shoulder and right into the argument he was having with Draco Malfoy.

The brat of a boy had clearly said something that Ben hadn't liked and thus Ben had squeezed the poor Bowtruckle in his hand too hard getting himself a rather nasty scratch in the process. He trilled angrily at the three laughing boys but Draco Malfoy merely smirked at him and turned away.

Harry turned to nuzzle at Ben's neck as Ben muttered to himself angrily. "You need to get that looked at." Hermione told him.

"It's fine." Ben snapped getting an annoyed chirp from Harry.

"Eridanus doesn't seem to think so." Hermione told him victoriously.

Harry gave her an angry chirp to tell her that he didn't want her using him as a bartering tool before he worked his way down Ben's arm to reach his bleeding hand. He leant down and concentrated on what he'd felt when he'd brought Ben back from the graveyard. It was easier this time and within a few long seconds two drops fell on the two slashes and seconds later they were healed without a trace.

"That's awesome, Ben!" Ron gushed as Harry fluttered back up to Ben's shoulder and his twin flexed his newly healed fingers.

"Yeah, I don't know what I'd do without Eridanus here." Ben sighed but Harry knew that he wasn't talking about healing his fingers.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**That evening**

When Ben went off to his detention both he and Damien convinced Harry that it would be best for Ben not to arrive with Eridanus on his shoulder. Instead Harry decided to stay with his younger brother as he worked on a potions essay in front of the fire along with Hermione and Ron who were peacefully ignoring each other while Hermione knitted ridiculous little hats to try to free the House Elves and Ron played Wizarding Chess against himself when he should have been working on the heaps of homework the fifth years had to do.

It wasn't even fifteen minutes since Ben had left for his detention when Harry flinched as he felt a small stab of pain. To start with he thought it was his illness spreading into his Phoenix form for the first time but then he realised it wasn't nearly as bad and seemed to be centred in his wing. He looked up to see Damien, Hermione and Ron looking at him in surprise and as he looked at his younger brother he realised the pain had spread from his twin link, which while suppressed when he was a Phoenix was still there.

The pain vanished only a few moments after it had appeared and Harry was about to relax and forget about it when it came again, exactly like before. Harry fluttered his wings in irritation and spread his mind out to find Ben's. _"What are you doing, Benji?" _He asked when the pain vanished again.

_"Forget about it, Harry."_ Ben told him. _"It's nothing I can't handle and if you show up like a trumped up pigeon it'll only make things worse."_

_"A...?"_ Harry asked in surprise. _"A what?"_

_"Just forget about it, Harry. I'm the big brother, I don't need you coming to my rescue for everything."_ Harry stayed silent even as he felt Ben try to block him out of his mind unsuccessfully. They were bonded too deeply for either of them to ever be able to block their thoughts from each other. Blocking pain was a different matter though, they could never want to be alone but they could always block the pain to the other. It was built into their very souls.

Harry retreated when he realised he wasn't wanted and tucked his head under his wing only moving slightly when he felt Damien lift him up and put him on his lap. He unfurled and turned to look at him before looking away into the fire. _"What's the matter, Harry?" _Damien pressed his thoughts towards him.

_"Damien's letting himself be tortured by that bitch of a woman."_ Harry told him simply. _"And told me he didn't want some 'trumped up pigeon' showing up."_

_"Oh Harry, that doesn't mean what it sounds like."_ Damien stroked his feathers well aware that they were being watched by Ron and Hermione.

_"Why is he angry all the time if it's not me?"_ Harry asked. _"Was he always this temperamental before?"_

_"I don't know why he's always so angry but it's not because of you." _Damien told him. _"Never think that, Harry?"_

_"He tried to shut me out of his mind."_ Harry sighed and buried his head under his wing again, shutting out the world as that single thought bounced around his head.

"I'll fucking kill him!" He just about heard Damien whisper under his breath.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The next night**

Harry, in a rather childish form of revenge on his older twin had gone to bed with Damien that night though he'd stayed safely in his Phoenix form and he spent the day with Damien more or less ignoring Ben. When the night finally came Harry once again went to sleep with Damien only to not manage to fall asleep. Leaving his younger brother to sleep he flew out the window and went out to stretch his wings before finally flying into the Common Room at nearly half two in the morning.

He didn't expect to find anybody up and was surprised that he'd been ignoring his twin bond enough to not realise that Ben was still up doing homework instead of in bed. He landed noisily on the table in front of his brother and made as if to grab the Dream Diary that Ben was faking his way through. "Hey!" Ben groaned and made to swipe at Harry only for Harry to snap at his fingers.

_"Shout at me one more time, brother, and I'll maim you!" _Harry warned him. _"I swear it, I will!" _Ben was so shocked with his twin shouting that he could only stare at the Phoenix and drop his quill. _"Yeah, I can snap at my twin too. How do you like it?"_

Ben winced and dropped his head on an arm. _"Sorry, Harry. I just haven't been having a good day." _He made to pick up his quill again but Harry bent and picked it up with his beak. _"I need to get this done, Harry."_

_"Not tonight."_ Harry told him simply. _"You're exhausted and I'm tired of you being angry at me all the time. I want my brother back and that means sleep."_

_"Harry, I have to do this!" _Ben told him and plucked the quill out of Harry's beak. _"Just let me get this one done."_

_"Ben, you have to accept that sometimes you need some help." _Harry told him.

_"How are you supposed to help when faking dreams?"_ Ben tried for humour.

_"I was talking about everything else. You've spent the last week snapping at Ron and Hermione and while I do think they deserve it you shouldn't do it."_ Harry sighed. _"And what's worse is that you've been snapping at me and Damien."_

_"I haven't!"_ Ben looked shocked.

_"You've been trying to block me out ever since you had your first detention with Umbridge yesterday."_ Harry told him. _"What's she making you do?"_

_"It's nothing, Harry."_ Ben told him. _"I have to deal with it myself."_

Harry sighed and launched himself into the air to settle on the windowsill to wait his twin out and it was another half an hour before Harry followed him up to his room and settled in on the headboard to sleep.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Friday night**

Harry waited up for Ben on Thursday night but when Ron and Ben entered they had clearly had a small disagreement with things and when Ron turned to bring Eridanus in on the fight Ben had cut him off, gathered Harry in his arms and walked up to their room.

It wasn't until Friday after his detention when Ben walked in on a lively common room after the trials that Harry could see that Ben was really worried about something. He fluttered over to him and landed smoothly on his shoulder ignoring the large crowds yelling even as Ron bounded over to tell his best friend he'd made Keeper. Ben looked like he'd been about to tell Ron something important but stopped himself when first Ron started rambling on like an idiot and then Katie Bell started too.

It wasn't until Ben made his way over to a dozing Hermione to wake her up that Harry perked up to listen properly. "Oh, Ben!" Hermione looked relieved to see him. "You wouldn't believe how tired I've been but I've been up making hats."

_"Idiot."_ Harry told her though his words only reached Ben who stroked the back of his neck to silence him.

"Hermione, I need to talk to you about something." Ben told her and she sat up a little straighter at his serious tone. "Earlier when I was with Umbridge she touched my arm and I felt pain in my scar. It was just like when Quirrell touched me in first year but not as strong."

"You're worried You-Know-Who is controlling her like he did to Quirrell?" Hermione asked before Harry could react.

"It's not impossible." Ben defended.

"But didn't you scar hurt you last year when nobody was touching you?" Hermione asked. "Couldn't it just be a coincidence that it happened when she was touching you? It might have nothing to do with her."

"She's evil!" Ben argued. "Twisted."

"She's horrible, yes." Hermione nodded in agreement. "Ben, maybe you should go talk to Dumbledore about this?"

Ben stiffened up and Harry was surprised that he didn't seem to like the idea. "I'm not bothering him with something like this." Ben told her sharply and Harry knew the words were meant for him too. "Like you just said, it's been hurting for the last year. It was just a bit worse tonight."

Ben left rather abruptly after that and Harry rode up with him to their room and flew to take a perch on the end of the bed while Ben undressed for bed. _"You need to tell somebody, Ben." _Harry told him. _"Mum and Dad? Dumbledore? It doesn't really matter who, just somebody."_

_"I told you and Hermione didn't I?" _Ben countered and he shrugged off his shirt and fell into bed and pulled the covers up over his chest.

_"Oh as if I'm of any help." _Harry scoffed. _"If Voldemort's getting to you again you have to tell somebody."_

_"Harry, just drop it okay?"_ Ben demanded.

Harry huffed but decided then not to do as told. He flew up into the air and vanished in a small cloud of fire. He Fire-travelled directly into Dumbledore's office and appeared in the middle of the room getting a startled squawk from the resident Phoenix who was sitting alone in the room. _"Ah, the little one."_ Fawkes spoke in amusement. _"Has somebody angered your bonded again?"_

_"He's not my bonded."_ Harry told him instantly even as he settled down on the back of one of the chairs in front of the desk. Dumbledore was clearly asleep since the room wasn't lit.

_"They are your first bonded."_ Fawkes told him. _"You can't hide it from me."_

_"Whatever, bird."_ Harry told him sharply, in no mood for the Phoenix's delusions. _"Ben's getting pain from his scar and he refuses to come tell Dumbledore and as much as I don't like the git he needs to do something about it."_

_"You don't like my bonded?"_ Fawkes asked.

_"As if you didn't know."_ Harry scoffed.

_"Perhaps I did."_ Fawkes sounded too nonchalant for Harry's taste tonight. _"I will tell 'the git' what you have told me once he has awoken. Know this though, young one, my bonded is doing everything he can to protect Benjamin even if you may not like the methods."_

_"What's that supposed to mean?"_ Harry asked and flared his wings in agitation.

_"You may be a Phoenix but that doesn't make you perfect, young one, you have your weaknesses as do us all. Benjamin has his pride and courage but at some point he will have to learn that he must trust others to make his decisions for him."_ Fawkes pointed out.

_"Like they tried to tell him to abandon his twin to his death?" _Harry couldn't help himself. _"That was partly Dumbledore wasn't it? Condemn a little boy to die on his own. I'm glad Ben trusted his own decision on that one and didn't listen to your precious bonded!"_

_"And here I was thinking you had completely suppressed your own feelings about that."_ Fawkes pointed out. _"You surprise me Harry Potter, that you could be here in this place, as you are now and not be screaming in your parents' faces. Screaming at Dumbledore."_

Harry almost completely lost his balance as Fawkes stripped his secret bare and he flared his wings again ready to take off and leave and get as far as he possibly could from the castle before Dumbledore appeared out of a hole somewhere and captured him. _"How did you know?"_

_"Like I said before, young one, we are all as you are now."_ Fawkes told him.

_"And when do you and Dumbledore plan on chaining me down in a cell to let me die?" _Harry asked.

_"Dear little one, my bonded knows nothing of who you are."_ Fawkes almost seemed to laugh. _"And I feel no need to tell him. This is your secret and it aids him none to know it."_

_"You're not going to tell him?"_ Harry was shocked.

_"It would do you no good."_ Fawkes told him simply. _"Now go and rest, young one and put your mind at ease. As long as Ben is in this castle he is safe."_

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**A few days later**

Harry had not been pleased when Damien, with Harry on his shoulder, had walked into lunch on Monday morning to hear the rumours spreading that Ben had once again shouted at Umbridge in lesson about Voldemort and gotten a week's detention and though Harry had spent the rest of the day with Ben he'd let the boy go to the detention on his own and simply waited on Ben's headboard for him to return.

When Ben had finally come it at almost midnight he'd looked so strained it was painful to see. He was clenching his left fist over and over with a wince and in the darkness Harry only just got a glimpse of blood. He took in a breath through his nose and his Phoenix sense of smell easily smelt the blood.

_"Why are you bleeding, Ben?"_ Harry asked, making Ben jump even as he was sliding under the covers.

_"I'm not bleeding."_ Ben retorted.

Harry flew down onto Ben's lap and pecked him lightly in the chest. _"Now I know you're hiding something. What's happened to your hand?"_

_"It's nothing." _Ben told him and put his left hand under the duvet. Harry shook his head and hopped off of his twin's lap before smoothly changing his form back to the human one, his concern and irritation for his brother overriding any need for security right then. Ben's eyes widened and he hastily cast a silencing and warding spell on the bed's curtains. "What the hell are you playing at, Harry!? You'll get caught."

"Right now I don't care. You can't just lie to me like this, or shut me out." Harry ordered. "Now what's wrong with your hand?"

As Harry made to grab at it to look Ben shifted to hide it further. Harry couldn't win a battle of strength so didn't even try. He sighed and rolled to the side to lie on the covers beside his brother's right side. "Why are you suddenly treating me like this, Ben?" Harry asked as he turned his head away from Ben.

Ben groaned in defeat and turned to lay his left arm over Harry's chest, like they'd slept dozens of times at home that summer. The back of his hand was clear in Harry's view and Harry reached up to grip it looking at the cuts on the back of his hand and with each of the words he read he felt his anger building. He glared at the words, 'I must not tell lies' until he felt his teeth grinding together and he realised his hands were squeezing tight enough around Ben's that if he wasn't so weak they'd be hurting him.

"That bitch!" Harry swore and turned to Ben. "This is what she's been doing in those detentions. A Blood-Quill?"

"You know what they are?" Ben asked.

"They're potion based." Harry spat. "And dark magic. You have to tell someone."

"What could they do?" Ben asked. "She's just been made High-Inquisitor. They'll just change the rules."

"She's torturing you!" Harry realised he was crying when he said that and saw Ben's eyes widen slightly.

"I'll be okay, Harry." Ben told him soothingly. Harry snuggled into him and clutched Ben's bad hand between himself and Ben as he cried himself to sleep. He couldn't stand to see his older twin, his rock, being beaten down by an old hag like Umbridge.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The next morning**

Harry woke when Ben stirred and let the other boy sit up straight before he bothered to try to move. Ben's hand caught his attention and in surprise he grabbed it and ran his thumb across the unblemished skin. Ben frowned firstly at him and then at his hand. "What did you do?" Ben asked.

"Nothing!" Harry looked up at his brother. "I can't heal unless I'm a Phoenix."

"Well it looks like something happened." Ben pointed out. "I don't feel anything from it like I have all week."

Harry shook his head in defeat. "Does it matter?" He asked. "At least it's gone."

"It'll just be back tonight after detention." Ben pointed out. "It's just a game of wills between Umbridge and I. One that I plan to win."

"Ben, it's not just that and you know it. You want to prove you can't be defeated by anything." Harry told him.

"What's wrong with that?" Ben tried for humour as he flashed Harry a quick grin.

"You can't beat my illness, Benji." Harry said without a smile. "Don't waste time trying to."

Ben flinched and looked away. "It's not just that." He admitted. "I feel like I'm failing you for everyday you're hiding and can't be happy with us out in the world. It's like you're wasting the few days you have left."

"I'm not wasting them as long as I'm with you and Damien." Harry told him and smacked him lightly across the top of his head. "Now stop thinking of ridiculous things and go learn something useful."

"Yes, Sir." Ben rolled his eyes and waited for Harry to change into Eridanus before he broke the wards on the curtains and rolled out of bed.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**October**

After Harry and Ben's little series of arguments they settled back to their comfortable loving relationship and Damien was seen by Harry to breathe a sigh of relief. Ben still got the odd bout of detentions with Umbridge and refused to go to Dumbledore and since the old codger didn't do anything when Harry told Fawkes about it Harry decided to just heal Ben whenever he got his hand hurt and took pleasure, along with Ben, when Umbridge got annoyed that her plan to scar Ben wasn't working.

Harry did however convince Ben near the end of September to contact his father about the pain in his head, hoping that he would do something rather than let his son get hurt but it wasn't until almost the second week of September when they got a reply from him. Harry was sleeping in Ben's lap in History of Magic as Binns droned on about Giant Wars when there was a small tap on the window that woke him up. He looked over in curiosity to see Hedwig on the other side watching Ben impatiently.

_"She doesn't normally disturb you during lessons."_ Harry pointed out. It was true, whenever Ben sent Thor or Hedwig home with a letter to their sisters and mother they always got their replies after the lessons were out for the day with the owls waiting in the common room or their dormitories.

Ben frowned and checked that Binns was as oblivious as normal before he skirted the classroom silently under everybody's stares to reach the window. He opened it and with a tired chirp Hedwig skipped inside and let Ben lift her from the window sill before he closed it again.

He carried her back to the table and set her down on his lap. Harry leant down and spread out his mind to her like he had before. _"Are you okay, Hed?" _Harry asked. They had become fast friends since the episode on the train and both Hedwig and Thor knew that Harry was Ben and Damien's brother rather than a Phoenix though Hedwig insisted on always being polite to him.

_"I have never been through such a degrading thing!"_ Hedwig told him primly. _"Caught in a horrible spell and hooded. I believe my wing is hurt."_

_"You believe!?" _Harry started and bounced off the table to settle besides the shivering owl. He wrapped a warm wing around her and strange as it must have looked he heard the entire class coo at the two of them as Hedwig leaned into his warm body. _"What did they do?" _Harry asked.

_"The worst you can do to an Owl of my standing!"_ Hedwig declared angrily. _"They read the letter that Master Benjamin should have received from his father and then felt the need to send me on my way without tending to my injury."_

_"Ben!?" _Harry turned to him with a pointed chirp so it didn't look like he was exchanging words. _"She needs proper attention, somebody intercepted her and read the letter from Dad. She's got a busted wing and she's really cold."_

Ben bit his lip but nodded after glancing at Hermione and Ron who were watching in something akin to confusion. "I think Eri wants me to take her for some help." Ben offered. "Hedwig looks pretty hurt."

"Go!" Hermione said, all suspicion gone from her face as soon as she was reminded that Hedwig was injured.

Harry jumped up onto the table and teleported out to find out where Hagrid was leaving Ben to excuse himself and carry Hedwig out of the classroom. Hagrid wasn't in his hut, nor in a class so he tried transporting directly into the Staff Room to find him along with McGonagall. They both started quickly and stood to find out what he wanted only to see Harry transport out again without even a chirp. Harry tracked Ben down and told him where to find Hagrid and within a few minutes they were back at the door of the staff room banging on the door.

Minerva opened it rather briskly and narrowed her eyes at Ben. "Don't tell me you've gotten yourself another detention Mr. Potter!"

"No, ma'am." Ben told her looking very innocent. "It's Hedwig, I think she has a broken wing."

"Poor Hedwig?" Hagrid's large bulk appeared behind McGonagall and she stepped aside. "What's happened here then?"

"Yeah." Ben nodded. "She turned up late and her wings funny. And Eridanus is acting rather strangely and we've already established he can talk to her."

"So, you've got a bad wing?" Hadgrid asked Hedwig kindly. "Let's have a look then." Hagrid gently pushed aside feathers and moved the wing a little to get an idea of the damage. "It looks like somebody got a hold of you. Wonder who would do that? Maybe an animal?"

Harry shook his head and chirped in disagreement. "Somebody could have tried to intercept my message?" Ben offered.

"Who was it from?" Minerva asked.

"My Dad." Ben told her.

"Well I'll have her back to full health in no time, Ben. Don't you worry but she'll need at least a few days rest." Hagrid told him before backing away from the door.

Ben made to leave with a last forlorn look after Hedwig but McGonagall stopped him. "You should be careful about what you put in messages, Mr. Potter, we can't be certain who's reading them right now."

Harry trilled and grabbed the letter in Ben's hand that he'd rescued from Hedwig. "I think Eridanus is offering to take care of that." Ben chuckled. "I can't see anybody being able to waylay him.

"I think that might be best." McGonagall nodded. "And remember this goes for any method of communication in and out of Hogwarts."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**November**

Harry thought he outdid himself through the rest of October forcing himself to ignore Umbridge's jabs at Ben. He'd had to start going to Damien's Defence classes too since she'd started picking on him as well. Harry expected to see a rule against Phoenixes any time now but he really didn't care, she couldn't do anything to him and he didn't think the Ministry could get away with banning a creature as Light as a Phoenix from the school.

As November came around so did Ben's first Quidditch match. Harry had gone to all of the practices since he'd only ever seen Ben fly with Damien and he had to admit that Ben was brilliant at it. Harry knew things would go bad when he saw the rehearsed assassination of Ron's self esteem and while Harry had to admit that Ron was really bad as a Keeper it was simply cheating what the Slytherins were doing. Still, when Ben caught the snitch and ruined everything the Slytherins had been attempting to do Harry glided down to his brother to congratulate him just in time to hear the last comment made by Draco Malfoy.

"Or maybe your own house is such a pigsty that his mother reminds you of your own." Draco scoffed obviously a sore loser. "I can't imagine living in such deprecation. It'll never be soon enough when they finally get rid of such pigs as that mother and those sisters..."

Draco never got to finish that sentence as Ben let go of restraining George and the two launched themselves straight at Draco before the others realised what was happening. Harry, for the first time since returning, felt angry enough that he was tempted to turn back into his human form and curse the little bastard but in steady he trilled loud enough and angry enough to attract everybody's attention.

A spell slammed into Ben before he could land more than a single punch and Hooch was suddenly there with her wand out. "What is going on!?" She screamed and didn't wait for a response as she released Ben from the spell. "Get up to the castle now, both of you and go straight to your Head of House's office! Now!"

Ben glared at Malfoy but he and George turned to trudge up to the castle. Ben settled on a seething Damien's shoulder and could feel his little brother shaking in anger even as Hermione and Ginny tried to calm him down. Harry turned his anger away and tried to soothe Damien by stroking his hair as the crowd began to disperse.

"The whole lot of them should be put down." Draco scoffed in a comment clearly meant to reach more than just his friends. Harry looked up to see Draco smirking directly at Damien with a self satisfied look. "Just look what comes out of that mother of theirs. At least that twin of his had the decency to just die young."

Damien snapped like a twig and it took three people to hold him still as he screamed at Draco. Harry wasn't going to let that pass though and he leapt into the air and exploded into fire almost instantly reappearing on Draco's head, clawing deep before they vanished together leaving a shocked Quidditch pitch.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**An hour later**

Harry returned to a school in chaos, at least some of it was as they looked for the missing Malfoy heir. The school was eating lunch in the Great Hall and Ben looked utterly miserable while Damien looked subdued and clearly upset. Clearly hearing somebody taunt him about Harry's alleged death wasn't something he could handle. Hermione and Ginny sat with him talking to him quietly while Ben and the other Gryffindors ranted angrily between themselves. Harry trilled arrogantly as he transported into the room and regally glided down onto the table in front of Ben who stared at him in shock at his rather blustery arrival.

"What did you do to him, Eridanus?" Hermione was the one to ask.

Harry lifted his chin up and trilled in amusement. "I would like to know that exact same thing." Snape's voice sent a chill through Harry but didn't remove his mood. Malfoy had deserved what he'd done to him and he was sure that Malfoy was enjoying the small island he'd been left on. He had left him his wand though so the Ministry would find him eventually but he had been tempted not to live him with a way to be rescued.

"How are we supposed to find out, Professor?" Ben asked simply. "He can't talk to anybody."

"Kidnapping a student is a serious offence, Mr. Potter." Umbridge's whiny voice cut into the conversation as she arrived with McGonagall behind her.

"It wasn't me!" Ben almost snapped at her but stop himself from sounding too rebellious when he got a sharp look from McGonagall.

"How could he have done anything to incite this when he'd already been sent to my office?" McGonagall asked dryly. "And as you saw yourself, poor Damien suffered greatly from what Mr. Malfoy said. He is in no state to be plotting kidnappings."

"I'll be the judge of that." Umbridge snapped. "Either way, that Phoenix cannot remain here."

She sounded so satisfied that Ben and Damien both looked at Harry in despair. "I'm afraid removing him is quite impossible, Professor Umbridge." Dumbledore's voice spoke up. "A Phoenix isn't subject to human laws. He can do as he wishes."

"Yet pets within the school must be deemed as harmless." Umbridge smirked at the old man.

"He isn't our pet." Ben told her sharply.

"When the Minister hears of this!" Umbridge spat and turned to leave.

"Don't forget to file the paper work for Mr. Malfoy's pending expulsion." McGonagall called after her. "I'm afraid what he said was far beyond what our intrepid Ministry can possibly allow within this school."

There was a smattering of laughter as she said this and Umbridge stalked from the room probably already trying to come up with another rule to give her more power. Snape slinked out with an angry glare on his face but Harry just helped himself to a strawberry before hopping over to Damien to comfort him with soft brushes of his beak in his red hair.

"I don't suppose you wish to go and collect Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked him. Harry ignored him completely.

"Headmaster. Malfoy said that is was a good thing that Harry died young to spare him being in my family." Ben said rather primly. "I'll have to inform my parents of this and they'll expect something to be done about it and not the usual slap on the wrist he gets for his other bullying."

"There's a lot of witnesses to what he said, Headmaster." Hermione spoke up daringly.

"We shall see when he returns." Dumbledore said and led McGonagall from the room.

_"It might be a while before he gets back from his own little Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean."_ Harry told his brothers happily. _"The fucking little bastard!"_

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	11. For all to see

Birth of a Phoenix

A/N; Please read the message in bold at the top of my profile regarding updates. Please enjoy.

Chapter 11; For all to see

**December 21****st**** – Hogwarts**

Months of Hogwarts had taken a serious toll on the three brothers, especially Benjamin who was constantly becoming more stressed with each day. He'd randomly snap at people around him, even at Harry and Damien and whilst his two younger brothers could handle it with the knowledge that his love for them was unconditional it was causing problems with the other Gryffindors.

Things at Hogwarts had only gotten worse after Eridanus had gifted the Malfoy brat with a one way ticket to his own desert island and after three days the Ministry had brought him back and regardless of Benjamin's angry protests, along with many of the professors and students, he'd been permitted to stay at the school under the supervision of a suitable Ministry approved professor which obviously became Deloris Umbridge which meant he became even more of an idiot and was given greater privileges as the weeks moved on. Harry had lost him temper more than once when he'd overheard snide comments from the blond and Malfoy had garnered quite a few cuts from Eridanus' very sharp beak.

The greatest struggle however came from Umbridge and the Ministry's fight to have Eridanus declared as a dangerous creature and banished from the castle. So far he had been told to leave the castle five times where in all cases he'd outright ignored the order and it had been rescinded on the order of Dumbledore on the grounds that the Phoenix was officially the protector of Hogwarts. The Ministry and the Daily Prophet had been very successful in slighting Ben and Dumbledore's reputations and even convincing the students' parents that the new regulations and school practices were in their children's best interests but unfortunately for them they weren't having as much luck convincing the Wizarding population that a Phoenix, the icon of all that is good and light in the world, was a danger to their children.

In all when it came time to pack their things for the Christmas holidays Ben and Damien couldn't do it fast enough and as they boarded the train in Hogsmeade they were struggling to stay still long enough for Harry to settle on either of their laps. In the end he flew up into the empty baggage rungs and flicked open Thor and Hedwig's cage doors and let them out to keep him company.

Hermione, sitting below with Ben, Damien, Ron, Neville and Seamus, made a sigh of disgruntlement at the blatant disregard for the rules but forgot about it quick enough. _'She's such a...'_

'_Thor, don't you dare finish that sentence.' _Harry's trill cut the owl off before he could say it.

'_Where did you find such a term?'_ Hedwig hooted sternly.

'_Harry?'_ Damien thought at him having been able to hear his admonition.

'_Thor was saying something rather unpleasant about Hermione.'_ Harry told both of his brothers.

"Do you think they're talking about us?" Neville asked. Damien snorted in amusement.

"If they are it probably isn't anything nice." Damien told him with a smile.

"Maybe I should let Pig out." Ron wondered and moved to stand up. Harry groaned mentally as the use of the little evil things name woke it up from its doze and it hoped around it's small cage in agitation.

'_This time I will eat it.'_ Harry warned Ben and Damien with a perfectly serious voice.

"Maybe we should feed Hedwig, Thor and Eri before you let him out." Ben spoke up with a raised eyebrow.

"Pig's not going to steal their food." Ron defended as he picked the cage up from the railings and set it on the floor ready to open.

"Don't you remember how close Eri got to eating him last time?" Ben asked his best friend.

'_I don't believe there is enough meat on it to make it worth the effort to catch.'_ Hedwig commented blandly just as Ron opened the cage and Pig burst into action. He had to have done eight circuits of the room within the first three seconds.

'_You're not getting old are you, my dear Hedwig?'_ Thor asked. _'Perhaps your human should give me his mail too if you require more sleep.'_

Hedwig raised up and flared her wings making both Harry and Thor duck. _'Be careful, Thor, you've got enough meat on you to make you worth the catch.'_

"Ron, I think Pig is upsetting Hedwig." Seamus pointed up at Hedwig who settled down.

"_Actually Thor insulted her age when she pointed out that Pig doesn't have enough meat on him to make it worth catching him.'_ Harry dutifully informed his brothers, keeping the two owls out of the conversation.

'_Tell them both to behave.'_ Ben told him.

Harry leant over to Hedwig and straightened a feather that had shifted out of place in her left wing. _'Ben says to behave yourself.'_ Harry told her. _'That goes for you too, Thor.'_

'_Kindly offer Thor's human that if he wishes Thor to fly faster I would happily take a few feathers out of him.'_ Hedwig said regally and turned her head up.

Harry relayed the message with amusement before settling down on his legs to take a nap but Pig's incessant need to cry out as it flew around the cabin kept him awake for almost ten minutes before Harry decided to act. _'That does it.'_ Harry snapped and with a jump he pounced across the top of the cabin, intercepted Pig in mid flight with his right talon, banked on the spot and landed again where he had been before, between Thor and Hedwig.

"Don't you dare eat him!" Ron shouted at him.

'_Honestly it's likely to cause the same effect as a bowl of chocolate. This thing must be on a diet of pure sugar.'_ Harry told his brothers and the two owls before pinning Pig under his right talon, just tight enough to keep him there and then laid down again to sleep, squeezing the mad little owl like a mother owl does to a newborn chick. When Pig tried to scramble away Harry trilled angrily and clicked his beak making Pig go still.

"He's not hurting him, Ron." Ben pointed out. "Maybe it will do Pig some good to stay in one place for a while."

"But he doesn't have the right to pin him in his talons." Ron argued.

"As I understand it, Phoenixes are well respected by all magical creatures, owls included." Hermione lectured. "Eridanus is probably upset he isn't getting the respect from him that Thor and Hedwig give him."

"Eridanus isn't that pompous, Hermione." Ben defended. "He wants to sleep and Pig's chattering while he flies can't be of any help."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Potter Manor – Brecon Beacons**

In the end Harry did get some sleep but only after he discarded himself of Pig and settled down on Ben's lap for the journey. They were picked up by their mother at the station and at the first mention of using the floo Harry had trilled out something along the lines of a negative and after they were touching each other and their luggage and owls he transported them all into the dining room of the house dropping them all only an inch onto the ground.

"_That wasn't so bad."_ Harry pointed out even as their mother squeaked in surprise by the small drop.

"_I must say that I prefer my own method of getting from one place to another."_ Hedwig hooted as she and Thor lifted off of their respective owner's shoulders and flew up towards the open windows.

"_How can you say that?"_ Harry heard Thor argue. _"That was wicked."_

"_You sound like your human."_ Hedwig hooted just as the duo fly out the window. Harry trilled out in amusement.

"That's interesting." Lily commented. "Can he understand them?"

"They seem to talk rather a lot when they're together." Damien told her. "Unfortunately in the train Ron insists on letting Pig out of his cage too and Eri has almost eaten him twice."

"Well then boys, why don't you unpack and wash up." Lily told them before hugging them both and kissing them on the cheeks. "It's wonderful to have you back home for the holidays, boys. 'Cacia and Crisanta have been talking about it for weeks."

"Where are they?"

"Sirius took them to the zoo so I could come and pick you up." Lily smiled. "He and Remus are coming for dinner. It'll be in about an hour."

Harry hitched a lift up to Ben's room on his shoulder and glided off onto the end of the bed as soon as the door was closed. Ben locked it and flopped back onto the bed with a huge sigh. Harry jumped off of the bed and morphed back into his human shape in mid air. He stretched before sitting down on the edge of the bed before laying back so his head was on Ben's stomach. "You got any plans for the holidays?" Harry asked.

"No." Ben lifted his head slightly to speak. "I'd rather just spend it here with you."

"You don't have to spend every moment with me." Harry pointed out.

"No, I don't." Ben chuckled. "But I can't think of anything I'd like better than to spend every moment of Christmas with you."

Harry turned to the side and put his weight on his right arm. "You can't base every part of your life around me." Harry told his older brother.

"I can if I want to." Ben told him. Harry snorted and stood up.

"You're going to go out with Ron and Hermione on Christmas eve." Harry told him and raised a finger when Ben went to argue. "I'm tired of feeling like I've taken you away from your friends and your life."

"I want to be around you!" Ben complained.

"One day with your best friends isn't going to hurt you, Ben." Harry sighed. "You have to keep your own life, Ben. If you give up everything what's going to be left once I'm gone."

"I don't want to think about that!" Ben sat up.

"It could still be a long way away, Ben." Harry pointed out. "I should have been dead a long time ago. As long as I have Eridanus then I can hold it off."

"Then why shouldn't I change my life for you?" Ben asked. "If you've got all the time in the world left?"

"Because even if I'd been with you all this time you'd still have a life separate to me." Harry pointed out.

"You're wrong, Harry." Damien's voice sounded from the doorway to the bathroom. "We'd never have had a life separate to yours if you'd been around. Especially Benji. Even though I barely remembered you I still felt you in every part of my life. It's not just us giving up part of our lives to be with you now, you've always been a part of our lives. Now it's just become real."

"What he said." Ben chuckled and Damien went red.

Harry laughed before standing up. "I'm going to take a shower. I feel horrible."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Christmas Eve**

Ben and Damien were wrong if they believed they'd be able to spend every moment alone with Harry in their rooms. Sirius and Remus had been spending most of the days at the Potter Manor in Wales and Harry suspected that Lily and James had asked for their help in reaching their eldest son who to everybody else seemed to be becoming a serious problem. The only time he wasn't wrapped up in his own world was when Harry was with him and they clearly believed that they were losing him. Sirius and Remus approached Ben differently to anybody else though. Instead of simply trying to spend time with him they took him and Damien each day for training, helping them with the spells in their books and even with the advanced course that Dumbledore had started over the summer and whereas Damien was still having trouble stabilising a shield of his magic around him, Ben had managed a good solid barrier that even Sirius and Remus had trouble breaking through. With their own experiments though they'd discovered that even if Ben tried he couldn't prevent Harry from merely reaching through the magic and touching his older twin. Harry had theorised that Ben's magic simply wouldn't harm Harry or deny him anything.

Christmas Eve arrived and Ben and Damien had been left to look after Acacia and Crisanta for the evening while Lily and James went to a Christmas party at the Auror Headquarters. Harry was watching the four siblings, _his_ four siblings, from one of the top branches of the Christmas tree while Damien and Ben got frustrated as their younger sisters constantly beat them at any card game they attempted. The two nine year olds seemed to have a knack for the games.

Harry wished then that he had had a chance to be a big brother to Acacia and Crisanta and not just a story told to them by their eldest brother and ignored by their parents. He didn't even know what they thought about him. How could they really care about his existence if he'd simply never been around for theirs? _"How can you two really be that bad at these games?"_

"_You be quiet!" _Ben grumbled mentally.

Acacia and Crisanta leaned towards each other to whisper quieter than even Harry could hear. "Hey! No cheating!" Damien grumbled.

"_I don't think they need to cheat to beat you two."_ Harry put in helpfully.

"Benji?" Acacia asked. "Is Eridanus talking to you?"

Ben frowned. "Of course not, all he does is trill."

"But he keeps making fun of you." Crisanta pointed out.

"Although he probably has reason to." Acacia continued.

"_Uh..."_ Harry frowned. _"Can you two hear me?"_

As one all four of them turned to face the tree and Harry perched near the top. "Of course we can." Acacia grinned.

Harry realised that as he'd been speaking before he'd been thinking about the four of them. He focused only on Ben and Damien just like he did when he wanted to only speak to one of them. _"I think it's because I've spent enough time with them."_

"_But you're not supposed to be able to talk to anybody but your bonded."_ Damien thought back.

"Can't we be bonded to him too?" Crisanta spoke up.

"You heard me talk?" Damien asked his younger sisters and got a nod. "Oh dear."

"Cacia? Santa?" Ben got their attention. "You can't tell mum and dad that you can hear him. Or that Damy or I can either."

"Why not?" Crisanta asked. "It's fun."

"Mum and Dad wouldn't understand. You have to promise us." Ben asked.

"Is it a secret?" Acacia asked.

Harry glided down out of the tree and lightly landed on Acacia lap and leaned his head against her hand has she petted him. _"I'm here to protect Ben, Damien and the two of you. James and Lily don't need to know we can talk. It can be our secret. Can you do that?" _Harry asked broadcasting his thoughts to all of his siblings.

Acacia and Crisanta both nodded and Harry leaned over so that Crisanta could pet him as well. "Remember you two." Ben narrowed his eyes at them. "You promised. You can't tell anybody."

Harry was about to reassure them when he felt as if the air had cooled throughout the large room and he was about to say something about it to Ben and Damien when they both shuddered. The girls didn't seem to notice. "Something's wrong." Ben frowned just before the building shook and the doors splintered apart.

"_I'll take the girls to Hogwarts."_ Harry said rapidly and even as the girls clung to each other and him in fright Harry teleported them away, heading straight through the Hogwarts wards and appearing in the middle of the headmaster's office. The girls dropped to the ground and Harry fluttered his wings to get clear of them before turning and finding Fawkes looking down at them from his perch. _"The Manor was attacked. Ben and Damien are in trouble."_ Harry told the older Phoenix quickly before teleporting back to the Potter Manor and into the rafters of the large sitting room. Everything was in chaos, there was smoke and dust everywhere and Harry had trouble seeing through it until he dropped to the back of a burnt chair. There were six Death Eaters near to the door, covering themselves behind burnt out furniture while Ben and Damien were crouched behind the remains of the fallen Christmas tree. Damien was on his back and a bubble of Ben's magic flitted around them, protecting them from any near misses as the Death Eaters threw spells at them. Harry tried to get close but a spell flew close to him. The Death Eaters had seen him and were directing everything they had at him to stop him from teleporting away with their targets.

Harry banked away but they seemed determined to keep him from reaching his trapped brothers. He was agile enough to avoid their attacks but Damien looked hurt and Ben couldn't hold out forever, not even until Fawkes gave the news of the attack to Dumbledore and they got the news to Lily, James, Sirius and Remus. He had to distract them until help arrived and he couldn't do it as Eridanus. He was too small and he was slowly being pushed away from Damien and Ben. With a flip he tucked his wings into his side and dived for the ground. As soon as he landed he changed form, seamlessly taking his human form. He dove to the side even as he pressed out with his magic, forming a bubble of magic around him that looked almost like flames encased in a glass bubble. It absorbed a few hits, enough for Harry to take cover and draw his wand.

"_This is going to hurt."_ Harry thought to himself half expecting his thoughts to reach Ben and Damien like normal. He twisted out from behind the upturned table he'd taken cover behind. "Inflamareous!" Harry chanted. He winced as the magic slipped through his wand, tearing its way down his arm as it went. A sheet of fire swept the room from Harry's position towards the Death Eaters who took cover hastily. Harry's vision blurred as a dizzy spell hit him but he shoved the sensation to the side and dove back for cover. He knew he had an affinity for fire based spells and since he was using spells he'd never tried to cast before he had to play to his strengths.

A spell smothered his sheet of fire but much of the room was now alight. The table behind Harry shattered and only his bubble of protective magic kept him from being sliced up by wooden shards. He rolled out of the way of the next spell before raising up onto his knee. "Protronis Flamaris!" He cast and his Protronis burst from his wand accept the Panther's felt was covered in flames. It leapt into the battle, landing on the first Death Eater, leaving burns wherever it touched and leaving burnt paw prints as it ran across the carpet, not that there was much of the floor that wasn't already burnt. A burning sensation spread through Harry's torso and his chest locked up and he had trouble trying to breathe. He'd never used so much magic in one go before. His protective bubble flickered as Harry began to lose concentration but he forced himself back to awareness and forced his bubble to protect him even as his body screamed with pain.

He raised his wand again to cast another spell and didn't care that it could kill him to exert himself more. As long as he delayed the Death Eaters until Ben and Damien were safe he didn't mind sacrificing himself, he'd do it a hundred times over.

Before he could cast a spell though a wave of magic extinguished all of the fires in the room and the Death Eaters spun towards the door and began trying to escape. Help had arrived. Harry's relief was short lived as incredible pain spread up his spine on top of the pain of using his magic. He collapsed forwards onto the floor and his magical bubble collapsed into him. He felt somebody shaking him and he was turned over. He could just about make out Ben and Damien but couldn't hear what they were trying to tell him. His eyes drifted closed and he lost consciousness, not able to change back into Eridanus.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

When Harry woke up it was to find himself not in the Potter Manor. The stone work around the walls were completely wrong and the air was different. A few moments of thought told him that he was in Hogwarts and by the look of the bed he was in and the furniture around the small room he was in the Hospital Wing. He sighed in defeat knowing that his existence was no longer a secret but forced himself to sit up against the back boards and take stock of himself. He was in light blue pyjamas so somebody had obviously changed him. He was also wearing a metal bracelet that weighed quite heavily on his wrist. He studied it for a moment before deciding to put it aside for later on.

Internally he felt tired like always and his chest ached from using so much magic but he'd live. Having had enough of this room he concentrated for a moment to change into Eridanus and a moment later he gasped out in shock as one of the oldest things in his life evaded him completely. He couldn't change into Eridanus, somebody had placed an anti-animagus spell on him which also meant he couldn't talk to his brothers with his thoughts. He looked around for his clothing and wand and found his jeans, shirt, jacket, underwear and trainers sat neatly on one of the chairs. He forced himself out of bed and after gaining his balance properly he crossed the room and dressed in his own clothes. After he felt more secure in his own clothing he searched his jacket pockets and clothing for his wand but not only did he find that his wand was missing but also his medication. If taking Eridanus and his wand away from him wasn't enough they'd taken away his relief from his pain.

"Mr Potter!" Poppy Pomfrey's voice screeched from the other side of the door and not for a minute did he think it was him that she was talking to. "You will contain yourself or I will have to restrain you. The headmaster specifically said he was to have no visitors!"

"I'm his brother!" Ben shouted at her. "I don't give a damn what Dumbledore told you. He doesn't get a say."

Harry moved towards the door and put a hand on the door knob only to get a shock. They'd locked him inside. "The boy was presumed dead for ten years and you think that makes him your brother?" Snape's unwelcome voice hummed through the door.

Harry knew that Ben would be close to snapping right now so he concentrated and his bubble of magic formed around him. He reached out his hand and as the bubble touched the door it destroyed the magic keeping him from opening it. He let the magic fade away before he turned the door knob and walked through it.

"You shut up!" Ben yelled at Snape while nobody noticed Harry's entrance. Ben, Snape and Pomfrey weren't the only ones in the room, Damien was sitting on one of the beds worriedly watching the argument and Remus and Sirius were standing by the door, ready to intervene if necessary.

"I will not be spoken to like that." Snape seethed. "I am your Professor."

"You're a no good bigoted git that has the least right out of everybody to be in this room." Harry spoke up dangerously. "Nobody locks me into a room and nobody keeps my twin from seeing me when I'm sick."

"Mr. Potter." Poppy turned and gasped as she saw him out of bed and dressed.

"Harry!" Ben cried and leapt across the room crushing Harry into a tight embrace. "I was so worried about you." He whispered.

"Mr. Potter. I must insist you return to your bed." Poppy ordered.

"I'm not a student here and as Snape just declared I've been dead for ten years which means I was never part of the Wizarding World so you can just cram that up..."

"Harry!" Damien choked back his laugh. He'd moved across the room too and he hugged Harry as soon as Ben backed up a little.

"I'm alright, little brother."

"You've got some explaining to do." Sirius said quietly from the door.

Harry turned cold eyes on both Sirius and Remus. "I have nothing to explain to either of you. Especially not to my dear Godfather." Harry hissed out making Remus go white and flinch back.

"You'll learn respect, boy!" Snape snapped and grabbed his arm. Harry flashed with magic and his bubble of magic smashed Snape away from him. Snape growled and drew his wand.

"Severus. That's enough." Dumbledore's voice sounded from the doorway. Harry turned his head to look at the door to find not only the Headmaster standing there but also his parents staring at him in shock. "Perhaps we can talk like adults."

"Tell that to the adults in the room, Dumbledore." Harry told him sharply. "Where's my wand and my pills?"

"Until we know where you have been and what you have been doing I'm afraid returning your wand to you is out of the question." Dumbledore told him.

"And until I know what you are taking the muggle pills for I can't suggest a potion for you." Poppy pointed out.

"Are you daft?" Harry rounded on her. "They tried curing it with potions. I didn't work! Those pills numb the pain it causes so that I can actually move. Trying to find a cure with magic is pointless, my parents discovered that over a decade ago or didn't you know? Maybe you should ask Dumbledore, James and Lily what their solution was?"

"Harry, that's enough." James spoke up.

"Don't you dare talk to him." Ben snarled at his father making both James and Lily step back in surprise. "You gave up that right when you gave him up for dead."

"Lily?" Poppy asked in confusion.

"We ran out of options." Lily sobbed.

"So you gave up?" Poppy gasped in horror. "You never give up!"

"Poppy, now is not the time to discuss this. Mistakes were made and we can't change that now." Dumbledore overrode any stewing argument. "Mr. Potter. How is it that you survived against your illness for so long?"

"Why should I answer anything you have to ask?" Harry sneered. "The only people in the world I'm interested in talking to are Ben, Damien, Acacia and Crisanta."

"You left before the girls were born." Dumbledore pointed out.

"That doesn't mean I'm not their older brother." Harry seethed. "The only reason you're here is because I've done the impossible and survived what you thought would kill me. The only reason you care is because I've gotten past your mechanisations. If it helps, you monster of a man, I'm still dying so how about you leave me alone to die in peace and take those... people... with you." Harry had to force the last part out with a vague gesture at his parents, Sirius and Remus.

Lily sobbed and ran from the room, unable to take it any longer. James chased after her and Sirius and Remus left after them, unwilling to look at Harry any longer. "Mr. Potter. You must learn to control your emotions. It's the present that counts not the past." Dumbledore told him.

"Did the present not count to a five year locked away in his room with parents that refused to acknowledge him except to tell his twin to forget about him?" Harry was seething and he wanted nothing more than to curse the old Wizard. "Get away from me."

"I'll be back to discuss your stay at Hogwarts, Mr. Potter." Dumbledore told him and turned to leave. Snape followed after him a moment later and Harry turned to Ben and sagged into his chest and cried, ignoring the fact that Poppy was watching him in horror and shock.

"I won't let them hurt you, Harry." Ben promised him. "I'll run away with you if they try."

"Mr. Potter. Please sit on the bed. You're not fully recovered yet and you're not strong enough yet." Poppy pleaded.

Harry turned to look at her with cold eyes. "I'm not going to get any stronger." Harry told her. "What happened to my pills?"

"Dumbledore told Snape to destroy them. It's school regulations not to allow any form of medication other than that which is made by the school." Poppy told him.

"Aphet's pain killer then?" Harry asked.

"We have a little." Poppy frowned.

"I get pain attacks up my spine. I need my medication to fight it but Aphet's potion will do in a cinch." Harry told her.

"Look Mr. Potter. Perhaps I should make my own diagnosis?" Poppy asked.

"Dumbledore didn't give up on me without a fight." Harry sneered. "He didn't want his precious weapons to just die on him, he had every doctor in Britain look at me without results and since I left I've had the greatest potions master and healer in Britain trying to find a cure without any luck so just give up and spare yourself the hassle like they did."

"Mr. Potter. I've done nothing to hurt you so do not be so rude." Poppy snapped at him.

"Harry, just let her have a look at you." Ben told him.

"Ben, it's not going to do us any good. They'll just try different things and it'll just hurt all the more when they try." Harry told him.

"She won't try anything." Ben said, staring at her. "Just do some scans."

"We'll get Cacia and Crissy if you do?" Damien offered with a grin.

"Nice try, Damy, but you'd go get them for me regardless." Harry smirked back but sat on the bed anyway. Ben kissed his forehead and Damy hugged him before the two left at a run to find their sisters.

"What do you mean about hurting you by trying?" Poppy asked.

"Magic reacts against the illness. Whenever somebody tries to affect it or I do magic it sends pain through my nervous system." Harry told her bluntly. "Why do think they caught me? I used too much magic protecting Ben and Damien and knocked myself out."

"That doesn't sound like any illness I know of." Poppy pondered.

"Hence the problem." Harry muttered. "Before you start though I want you to answer something for me."

"What?" She asked curiously.

"What is this thing?" Harry asked. "Unless you let them put it on me without you knowing what it is."

"It's just a tracking device." Poppy told him. "Dumbledore was worried about your health if you tried to run. Without our help you can't survive alone."

"It's more than just a tracking device." Harry mumbled.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Nothing." Harry sighed. "Just get this over with so we get past this stage. I want to see my sisters."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**That evening**

"Why are they here?" Harry asked Damien quietly looking away from the door to the Hospital Wing. He was leaning on the edge of the bed, having refused Poppy's demands that he remain in bed, and he had a clear view of the doorway which had just opened to admit not only Acacia and Crisanta but Sirius, Remus and his father. Ben and Damien had returned only an hour after they had left with the promise that their parents had agreed to allow their sisters to see Harry.

"Mum and Dad didn't think it was safe for them to be alone with you." Ben muttered.

"They..." Harry seethed, any good feelings that had been growing towards his parents over the last few months were quickly evaporating. There was only so much that shock over a resurrected son could exonerate. Acacia and Crisanta edged closer to the three brothers but James and Remus remained near the door while Sirius came closer. Evidently they had realised who Harry was more pissed at. Damien was sitting on a bed opposite Harry, between him and door while Ben remained leaning next to Harry, there to offer his support and to block him from his parents and his own approaching Godfather.

The two girls stopped a couple of feet from Harry and looked to Ben for direction which made Harry wince even though he couldn't really blame them. "Cacia, Crissy? This is your older brother, Harry. Remember everything I've told you about him?"

Harry couldn't stop the tears from welling up in his eyes as he looked at the two sisters he had never had a chance to know. "Mum said he was dead." Acacia told Ben sharply and backed up slightly. Damien picked her up, making her scream quietly in shock until she realised who it was. He settled her into his lap.

"They thought he was dead is all." Damien told his sisters gently. "We wouldn't lie to you two."

"Yeah you would." Crisanta glared at Ben.

Harry couldn't help it, he laughed. It was a choked laugh but it made his two sisters look at him and then at Ben and back to him. "You look kinda like him." Acacia relented. "But you don't look the same like Crissy and me."

"We should have looked identical." Ben sighed. "But Harry's been ill ever since I can remember so he's smaller than I am."

"I can still take you, big brother." Harry muttered and flashed a grin at Acacia who he knew from experience was the more sassy of the two girls. Acacia shyly smiled back at him and slid off of Damien's lap. The two girls had their father's height in them, just like Ben. Harry should have had that too except for his illness so he was only Damien's height who got it from their mother. The girls, who even though they were six years his younger, were only two feet shorter than him. He knelt on his knees to bring them face to face and Acacia slowly offered her hand. Harry chuckled and took it, he raised it to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Princess Acacia." Harry greeted. "It's an honour to meet such a delightful young lady."

Acacia giggled and Harry turned and took Crisanta's hand and repeated the process. "How can you tell us apart?" Acacia asked.

"You should know that 'Cacia." Harry smiled. "I'm Ben's twin just like you're Crissy's."

"Where have you been?" Crisanta asked shyly edging a little closer to her newly discovered older brother.

"That's a secret." Harry leant in as if keeping everyone else from knowing. "I've been off fighting dragons and saving damsels in distress."

"We're not six you know." Acacia told him primly. Harry flashed her a big grin before sobering slightly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't around to be your big brother but I couldn't stay with Benji even though I've never wanted anything more than to be with my brothers and sisters." Harry said quietly and couldn't keep the regret and sadness from his voice. "Can you forgive your older brother?"

Crisanta leapt forwards and hugged him around the neck. Harry was shocked but he hugged her back with his right arm just before Acacia attacked him from the other side. He hugged them both for as long as he could and cried silently to himself and merely shut his eyes to the rest of the world and wished in vain that he could redo his entire life and not become ill.

"Are you going to leave again?" Acacia asked as the two girls pulled back.

"I don't know, my Princesses. I wish I didn't have to leave you four but I don't belong in the Wizarding World." Harry told them.

"Can't you do magic?" Crisanta asked with a frown as if the concept was absurd.

"Better than Ben." He whispered with a cheeky grin. "It's just they don't understand what's wrong with me so I had to leave."

"What is wrong? Is it going to hurt you?" Acacia asked looking upset.

"Don't you worry about that, 'Cacia." Harry smiled. "I've got my own older brother to look after me."

"Too right." Ben chimed in and scooped Crisanta off of the floor and stood up. "Harry, dad's coming over with Remus."

Harry raised himself up and when Acacia grabbed his hand he scooped her up and held her like Ben was holding Crisanta. He wasn't as strong as Ben was though and Acacia was nine. He sat on the bed and placed Acacia in his lap. "What do you want?" Harry asked the two.

"Daddy? Aren't you happy to see Harry?" Crisanta asked and wriggled out of Ben's grip so she could make James pick her up. It was obviously true that young children could sense tension and always tried to get involved to get rid of it and Harry knew from the orphanage that they were pretty good at doing it.

"Of course I am." James told her and Harry noted once again that James and Lily couldn't tell the two apart though that wasn't surprising since until they spoke neither could Ben and Damien. Strangely while he was Eridanus he could tell them apart even without Ben's help. "It's just a lot for your mother and I to deal with."

"Deal with it then." Ben told him harshly.

"Ben, don't." Harry requested. "I'm tired and I don't want another argument. Tell Dumbledore I want out of this wing and I want this tracer off my arm."

"It's for your own safety. If you collapse on your own at least we'll be able to find you and help you." Sirius pointed out.

"I save your children from Death Eaters and as a prize you take my wand and tag me?" Harry scoffed. "Just leave me alone like last time."

"Harry..." Remus started but trailed off as Harry winced and rolled his shoulders just as Ben rounded on him.

"Sorry, Cacia." Harry whispered before passing her to Ben who knew what was happening from the echo. Harry managed to get her to Ben before the pain started properly, washing up his torso. Instinctively he tried to turn into Eridanus before he remembered that he was trapped as a human from whatever subsidiary spells were on the bracelet and then he remembered that he didn't have any pills to deaden the pain. "Damien, get the girls out of here."

Damien winced but took Acacia from Ben and set her on the floor. "Come on you two." Damien told them, taking Crisanta from James.

"Can't we stay with Harry?" Crisanta asked looking back at Harry who forced a smile at her.

"Later on." Damien promised. "Harry needs to rest now, remember when mum was sick with the flu that time and had to sleep during the day..." His voice trailed off as he took the two girls out of the room. As soon as they were gone Harry sucked in air and uttered a pained cry.

Ben steadied him and pushed him back onto the bed, ignoring the pain that echoed across to him. "Get Poppy!" Ben shouted at the three adults watching in shock. James ran towards the office while Remus and Sirius came forwards to try to help. Harry shied away from them. "You two have caused enough pain already, don't add to it. Get out!"

Ben's temper was rising and as he shouted at them a bubble of his blue magic flickered up. The two men stared at him but backed away looking panicked at being helpless as Harry writhed on the bed without his pills to soften the pain. "I need my..."

"I know Harry." Ben pressed his forehead to Harry's. "Dad's gone to get Madam Pomfrey, she's got the alternative."

The pain racked up and down Harry's spine for another minute before Poppy was there with James at her side and a potion vial. She pressed it to his lips and Harry drunk it. It felt like it was burning his throat as it went down and he whimpered as Ben held onto him but the potion slowly went to work and deadened the pain even though it was slower than the faster acting Muggle medicine. Ben sat on the bed and Harry curled up to his side as the shudders slowly ebbed away and he relaxed again.

"Right, you three." Poppy turned to James, Sirius and Remus. "Out you go."

"I'm his father." James protested.

"Not likely." Harry hissed out making James blanch.

"That about sums it up." Poppy told James. "I can't have you around if you are going to cause my patient undue stress."

"Perhaps we should go speak to Dumbledore?" Remus offered as a way of placating James. Harry ignored their whispered conversation as they slowly left the room and sighed into Ben's side as soon as the door was closed again.

"How often do these attacks happen, Mr. Potter?" Poppy asked him.

"About once a day but they range in strength." Harry sighed. "Normally the medicine I had keeps them from hurting me much more than an irritation."

"I can give you Aphet's to keep with you but..." Poppy started.

"It's addictive and damages my heart while I'm on it, I know." Harry sighed. "Nick told me."

"Nick?" Poppy asked. "Who's this?"

"He means Nicolas Flamel." Ben told her. "He was staying with them for the last few years. Harry wrote me a letter just after he heard about the third task last year, just after they died, and I met him during the holidays."

"Does the Headmaster know this?" Poppy asked.

"He thought I was dead." Harry pointed out.

Poppy sighed and placed a pouch on the side. "There are ten doses of Aphet's in there. I'm not sure I like giving you even that much. The damage it could do to your heart..."

"I know." Harry sighed. "At the rate of one a day it'll kill me in a few months. That's why I need my medication."

"I'll do everything I can to get some for you and to clear it with the Governors. Like I said it's against the school regulations to have outside medication or potions and they won't like the idea of having muggle medicines near the other children." Poppy pointed out.

"I don't give a damn what they have to say about it." Ben snapped, not precisely at her but at the world in general. "I'm not losing my brother because they want to be uptight bastards."

"I'm going to place a few calls and try to get you your medicine before the school term begins. Perhaps you should get some sleep?" Poppy suggested.

"If you let Cacia, Crissy and Damy back in I promise I'll sleep." Harry bargained.

"I doubt that but go ahead." Poppy sighed and Harry knew she couldn't bear to keep them apart.

She disappeared and Ben turned to Harry. "Why did you do it, Harry?"

"Do what?" Harry asked and looked up at him.

"Turn back into a human and get caught." Ben sighed.

"I didn't see any other option. They might have got there in time but I wanted to give you every possible second I could." Harry sighed.

"Oh, Harry." Ben sighed and pressed a kiss to his hair. "So are you ready to get out of here now?"

"Out of here?" Harry asked.

"Just change into Eri. They don't have a clue you two are linked and now that Cacia and Crissy know about you..." Ben rambled until Harry stopped him with a sad look.

"I can't." Harry sighed and lifted his left arm with the bracelet. "It's not just a tag. I don't think they've realised but it's blocking my animagus as well."

"Harry..." Ben stared at him. "No." He shook his head in denial. "No."

Harry sighed and put his head on Ben's chest unwilling to face that truth. Ben slid out from under him and laid him flat on the bed and took of his jacket, shirt, shoes, socks and jeans so he could sleep. "We'll find a way to get that off of you, little brother. I promise." Ben swore but Harry just looked at him and let himself believe his big brother as he fell into a light doze as the two waited for Damien and their younger siblings to return.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	12. Rebellious teenagers

Birth of a Phoenix

Chapter 12; Rebellious teenagers

**Hogwarts**

Harry woke up sharply when he felt emotion flooding through his bond with Benjamin. It didn't normally come across that strong. Normally he could just about sense when Ben was really angry and that was stronger when he was Eridanus. Now though his jumbled emotions were almost reaching out to Harry. He sat up ignoring the dizzy spell that hit him from moving too quickly and turned in the darkness to the right to see Ben sleeping in the next bed across and writhing in a nightmare.

Harry tumbled out of bed and grabbed his older brother's shoulders and shook him gently to try to bring him out of it but when that didn't work he shook him harder and yelled his name. Nothing seemed to bring him out of it, not slapping him on the shoulder or pinching his earlobe and Harry was too weak to physically dump him off of the bed though he thought that that wouldn't work either. It was almost five minutes of trying before Ben jerked up with a shuddering breath. Harry only just managed to get out of the way to prevent them from head butting each other.

"Harry?" Ben asked looking at him. "Wha...?"

"You were having a nightmare." Harry told him leaning on the bed. Ben saw his weakness and turned out of the covers and draped his legs onto either side of Harry and hugged him, letting Harry rest his weight on him. "You alright?"

"I don't know." Ben frowned. "It was so..."

"Real?" Harry guessed just before Ben tensed up and nodded distractedly.

"Oh god, Mr. Weasley!" Ben gasped. "I attacked him. I mean _something_ attacked him."

Harry went through surprise, concern and then regret before he pulled back slightly to look at his twin. "You think we need to tell someone?"

"They'll think..."

"You're insane?" Harry asked when Ben trailed off. "Who cares?"

"You're right." Ben nodded and steadied Harry as he jumped off of the bed. The way that Ben now almost unconsciously made sure that Harry was always balanced and able to support himself was enough to make Harry smile at his older brother who saw the look and quickly kissed him on the forehead, reminding Harry once again about the half a foot difference between him and his identical twin brother. "We have to go tell Dumbledore about it." Ben nodded and turned to pull on his clothes.

Harry dressed quickly as well but he spoke as he did. "You realise that the door is locked to stop me from leaving right?" Ben frowned and then sighed. "And you weren't allowed to stay with me over night unless you gave mum and dad your wand."

"How did you get out of the room this morning?" Ben asked.

"I suppose I can do that again." Harry nodded and pulled on his jacket and then his trainers and hugged himself to prevent the cold from getting to him though he knew he'd always feel cold. That and the shaking of his hands were the constant signs of his illness.

"Let's get going." Ben grabbed his hand and almost pulled him towards the door. Harry concentrated for a second and a bubble of fire appeared around him, passing around Ben's hand without a problem as it recognised Ben as his twin, the second half to himself. He reached out for the door and although not as easy as the last time the magic keeping the door locked fizzed and died and Ben reached out and pulled it towards them before grinning at Harry.

They walked up to the Headmaster's office as fast as they could and Ben hissed the password to make the gargoyle move out of the way for them and Ben half pulled Harry up behind him though Harry didn't complain knowing that Ben wanted to warn somebody as soon as possible. Harry looked around the office as Ben yelled for the Headmaster and his eyes settled on Fawkes who was watching him. Harry looked away from Fawkes before sitting down on the cushioned window sill so he could rest from the three flights of stairs and half a dozen corridors they'd had to use to get from the Hospital Wing to Dumbledore's office.

Ben glanced at him before running around the desk and up a flight of steps to where Dumbledore slept. Harry heard a flutter of feathers and looked over at Fawkes in time to see him gliding over towards him. Harry leant back and Fawkes landed on his lap, gripping his jeans over his left leg to keep his balance. Harry automatically put his left hand on the back of Fawkes' neck and stroked him knowing exactly where to stroke the Phoenix from his own experience.

"Does Dumbledore know what this bracelet is doing to me?" Harry whispered knowing the Phoenix could understand him perfectly well. Fawkes turned to look at him and nodded.

"He knows it's blocking my animagus transformation?" Harry frowned and Fawkes nodded again.

"But why block it? What's the point?" Harry dipped his head. "It's going to kill me."

Fawkes put his head under Harry's and pushed his face up again before looking him in the eyes and shook his head. "What?" Harry frowned before realising. "He knows that the bracelet blocks the animagus transformation but not that it would affect me." Fawkes nodded and Harry sighed. "So he's going to kill me unintentionally."

Fawkes trilled to him soothingly but Harry didn't really know what about and couldn't ask because at that moment Ben rushed back down the steps with Dumbledore behind him. Ben was telling Dumbledore about his nightmare as he entered and finished just as he and Dumbledore spotted Harry and Fawkes.

"Ah, Harry, I see you've met Fawkes." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled but Harry just ignored him and went back to stroking Fawkes. Dumbledore took his rudeness in stride and walked up to his fire and taking a handful of powder he tossed it in before putting his head into the flames. Ben walked back and forwards across the room until Harry raised his hand and Ben sighed and walked over to sit next to him. Harry put his head on Ben's shoulder and even while still stroking Fawkes he closed his eyes as if wanting to fall asleep.

Dumbledore pulled his head back out a few minutes later and turned to them as Harry opened his eyes but didn't raise his head. "Perhaps we should return you to bed, Harry. You seem tired."

"Cram it." Ben said bluntly getting a trill from Fawkes as if in admonishment.

"I'm merely concerned that you get the attention you require." Dumbledore told him.

"With all due respect, Headmaster. You had your chance to look after Harry and you and my parents blew it." Ben told him simply. "Now you're going to let me look after him and you're going to keep out of it."

Harry lifted his head and looked at Ben in surprise. He wasn't shocked by the words only at the anger behind them. More than he thought Ben would necessarily let himself show but then again Ben had been slowly losing his grip on his temper ever since coming back to school in September. Dumbledore frowned at them before turning to sit behind his desk. "I think it best that you return home, Ben, for the rest of the holidays. I just spoke to your parents and they are waiting for you. Obviously Harry will have to remain in our Hospital Wing while we find a potion to counter his attacks without harming him."

"There isn't one." Ben said bluntly. "He's already told you, he needs his muggle medicine."

"And we are discussing the matter with the Board of Directors." Dumbledore placated him

"And apart from that, Harry's coming home with me." Ben told him.

"I don't think that's in his best interests." Dumbledore argued. "If he stays here then he can be under the constant care of Madam Pomfrey and he can get used to the school before he is sorted on the first day back."

Harry nudged Fawkes gently with his hand and the Phoenix took off and landed back on his perch as Harry stood up and Ben stood with him. He looked at Dumbledore with dead eyes. "Take this off of me." Harry said, speaking for the first time since Dumbledore had come into the room and it startled Dumbledore how weak Harry sounded now. Harry had been so full of anger when he'd first woken up after being caught that it had given him strength. Now though he was just so tired and his voice was strained. Ben and Damien had gotten used to it but it was still a shock for anyone else to hear.

"I can't do that, my boy. It's for your own safety." Dumbledore told him as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm leaving with Ben and I don't want to see you unless it's to bring me permission to have my medication." Harry said quietly and turned towards the door. Ben caught him up and pulled him to a stop in the corridor and hugged him from behind and Harry could feel tears on his cheek from Ben and held his hands for a moment. "I'll be alright, Benji."

"How do you know?" Ben asked.

"Because no matter how long I have left I know I can spend it with you and that's all I've ever wanted." Harry told him.

They made their way back to the Hospital Wing where Poppy was frantically walking about. She'd clearly come to check on him and found him missing and called the Headmaster. "Albus tells me you've got it into your head that you're going home." Poppy told him and Harry just nodded. "I don't see how you're any better off there than here."

"I can see Cacia and Crissy there." Harry told her bluntly and her expression changed from stern to understanding. "I'm hardly going to see them once I'm stuck here for the rest of the year. Please."

"I understand." She nodded. "I'm happy for you to go but only on the condition that someone contacts me after each of your attacks with any relevant details and if anything changes I'm to be called immediately."

Poppy made sure Harry had enough of the potions to last him until the end of the holidays and promised to try to get his medicine for him and then she gave them some floo powder and they used the Hospital Wing's fireplace to floo to the Potter Manor in the middle of the night.

Harry stumbled out after Ben and a dizzy spell hit him hard enough to almost send him over and he probably would have collapsed to the floor if Ben hadn't caught him. He got his legs under him and Ben pulled back a little as Harry took in the room around them. It was the sitting room, remarkably well repaired after the fight just a couple of nights ago. There were signs of Christmas celebrations throughout the room but Harry knew that Ben had spent only a short amount of time there and instead he and Damien had spent much of the day with Harry.

"Ben." James spoke up drawing Harry's attention to the two adults in the room. "Harry. Does Dumbledore know you're not in the Hospital Wing?"

"Since when does Dumbledore decide what happens in my life?" Harry asked coldly. "That was once your job but now it's mine. I didn't decide to go to Hogwarts but I will so that I can be with Ben and Damy but I'm not going to spend the week in the Hospital Wing away from them."

"Maybe it's best you were there while you recover?" Lily asked. "Poppy is the best to look after you."

"Since when was looking after me at the top of your priorities?" Harry asked sharply. "It was always protecting Ben. You gave up on me and you went to damage control. Well that didn't work then and it won't now."

"And if you try to break us apart it won't work." Ben whispered. "Even once, mum and dad, and I leave with Harry."

"You'd leave?" James jolted in shock.

"Harry's my twin and I love him with all my heart. It'll always be him before my parents." Ben told them and Harry could see the anger rising yet again and he touched his brother's arm to calm him down which seemed to work.

"I get that you gave up on curing me." Harry told them. "But I don't get that you gave up on caring for me. If I was going to die then you could have at least let me know you cared about that."

Lily gasped at Harry's words and Harry saw tears fall from her eyes. As they were from James'. "Harry..." She started. "We only wanted what was best for..."

"Ben and Damy?" Harry finished off. "Do you really think it would have mattered? You should have accepted that Ben would have wanted to spend as much time with me as possible before I died."

"We knew what could happen to one twin when the other dies from a drawn out illness like yours." James defended. "We had to protect Ben from that as much as possible."

"Neither of you have a twin." Ben said sharply. "You'd never understand."

"No we can't and we were young." James told his two eldest sons. "We know better now."

"So you're actually going to try to treat me as a son?" Harry asked.

"Of course we are." Lily frowned. "You've always been our son and you always will be."

"But I can see it in your eyes!" Harry almost yelled. "You're already trying to not look at how weak I am. You can't help me and we all know it. I'm going to die but I want my life back and that means my brothers and sisters and so help me if either of you, Dumbledore or my godfather tries to stop that."

"Harry you need to calm down." James told him as if Harry was having a mere tantrum.

Harry levelled a glare at him and his aura sprung up and a blast of air sent three of the tables around the room flying. "I'm not some child you can order around, James." Harry hissed and saw the shock at the use of his father's name. "Treat me like you would Ben or don't talk to me at all."

"Harry..." Ben whispered and reached through his aura to the surprise of his parents. Harry looked at him and calmed down and the aura sunk back into his skin.

"Can we go now?" Harry asked his brother who nodded and together they walked out of the room and up to Ben's room. It was the same as before his stint at Hogwarts and Harry sat on the bed as tears leaked down his face.

"Harry?" Ben asked and knelt on his knees in front of Harry. "Are you alright?"

"Why can't I just be normal?" Harry asked his twin.

Ben hugged him and Harry shook against him as he cried. "I suppose if you were normal I could still love you but it would just be that little bit harder." Ben told him and Harry couldn't help but chuckle.

"What time is it?" Harry asked as he pulled back, hardly able to keep his eyes open.

"About six in the morning." Ben sighed. "I can't sleep now."

Harry eyed the bed but if Ben wasn't going to sleep he'd only keep Harry up. "I'm going to go get some sleep in Damy's room then."

"I could try to lie down and stay still." Ben offered.

"But you're hopeless at that." Harry sighed and stood up weakly. "It's alright, Ben. I don't mind."

With that Harry took of his jacket, trainers, socks, t-shirt and jeans and walked through the bathroom and into Damy's room. His CD player was on standby and the dull glow on the front was enough for Harry to make his way to the bed and to see Damien lying on his back nearer to the wall. Harry slipped under the covers trying not to wake him and then turned on his side and put an arm around his sleeping brother and put his head on his chest. Damien sucked in a breath as he came awake and looked down at Harry. "Benji?" Damien asked before he obviously realised that Ben was a lot bigger than Harry. "Harry?" Harry nodded and Damien pulled his arms up around him and let Harry get more comfortable.

"Benji's not going to sleep and I'm too tired." Harry mumbled. Damien chuckled but settled back down as sleep overcame them both once more.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Two days later**

After Harry's presence had become known Ben refused to even consider leaving to visit his friends and although Harry was sorry for breaking him apart from his friends once more at least this time he had a reason to give them. He had a week to spend with Ben, Damien, Acacia and Crisanta and for two days he spent almost every waking moment he could with them.

It happened like it always did when Harry wasn't expecting it and like always he'd forgotten that it was due but worst of all was that he was reading his little sisters a bedtime story when it happened. He was about halfway through the story with one of them on either side of him on Acacia's bed when the air in his lungs seemed to vanish and he became light headed. After two seconds of that the pain struck him and the book he was holding hit his lap as his hands shook.

He couldn't let Acacia and Crisanta see him fall into one of his major episodes. They couldn't watch their older brother, one that they'd only recently discovered they still had, in so much pain. He scrambled up over the bottom of the bed startling the two but ignored them and was in the corridor as fast as he could. He barely got out and shut the door behind him when the real pain struck him and he gasped as it lanced up his spine and then out into every cell of his body.

"Ben!" He gasped out weakly but he knew that Ben and Damien were in Ben's room and he fell down against the wall and dug through his jeans pocket for one of Aphet's potions. He managed to get the cork out but the vial slipped from his fingers and clattered across the floor spilling the potion as it went. He tried for a second but he couldn't even get the cork out before more pain struck him.

All he could think as his vision started to go black was that at least Acacia and Crisanta had stayed in their room rather than follow him out. He put his shaking hands on the floor and tried to stand but fell back again as more pain hit him but then suddenly he felt arms hauling him up and saw a burst of light as somebody taller than even Ben lifted him up. He sagged losing all his energy as his father carried him in the direction of his patronus message to his eldest son.

He didn't have to go far though since just around the next corner Ben darted into view, took one look at Harry and choked before diving forwards to help his father with him. Ben had felt the pain echoing across the bond they shared as twins and recognised it as far greater than the normal ones and had told Damien to call the school nurse even as he'd sprinted across the manor to his younger sister's rooms to help him. James on the other hand had heard the potions vial bouncing over the stone floor and gone to investigate only to find his newly returned son writhing against the wall outside his daughters' room. He hadn't known what to do but if anyone had any idea it would have been Ben so rather than leave him outside Acacia and Crisanta's room where they could witness this episode he'd started carrying him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Five days later**

Harry woke to find that he wasn't alone. He was in Ben's room and there was a light on at the desk but it wasn't Ben like he expected but his mother. She was working over some reports and as Harry looked she turned one over to read the other side. He glanced to the side and at the small digital clock on Ben's beside table and it told him that it was almost midday on the third of January. Tomorrow he was supposed to be returning to the school with Ben and Damien but he could barely even lift his head without straining at the moment. He knew he'd regain what energy he normally had quite quickly and be able to walk on his own by that evening.

"Why are you in here?" Harry asked suddenly looking at his mother down below the bed. She almost screamed in surprise and turned to look at him and was out of her chair in seconds and at his bedside feeling his forehead.

"You're freezing." She frowned.

"I'm normally this cold." Harry told her and jerked his head to get her hand off of him. "I run a fever during the episodes but the rest of the time I'm about three quarters of a degree under normal. Where's Benji?"

"He went to Diagon Alley with Damien to meet up with Ron and Hermione to restock for the school year and to get uniform and supplies for you." Lily told him.

"I'm not wearing any uniform." Harry told her simply. "If I have to go there so Dumbledore can keep an eye on me then I'm wearing what I want."

Lily sighed but then chuckled and Harry frowned at her as if she'd lost her marbles. "I'd never have imagined that you could sound so much like Ben." She lost her amusement and sighed sadly. "Ben said the same thing and told us he wasn't going to get you any uniforms."

"Did Cacia and Crissy see the attack?" Harry asked and there was just enough desperation in his voice to get Lily's attention and her heart bled for the younger of her twin sons just like it had when they'd had to try to form some sort of distance between Ben and Harry when they'd first realised he was going to die no matter what they did. But it hadn't worked and they'd learnt from that mistake a long time ago. But she still realised that Harry was dying and there was still nothing they could do about it and they were scared about what it would do to their family. How Harry had survived so long was already a mystery to them all especially Dumbledore who had told them to tell him anything that Harry said about where he'd been and what he'd been doing.

"They realised something was wrong but they thought you were going to be sick so they didn't follow you out." Lily told him and reached for his hand but sighed when Harry pulled his hand back and under the cover. She stood up. "For what it's worth Harry I know that I can't ask your for forgiveness for what we did. We thought we were doing what was best for Ben and Damien but we see now that we were very wrong but that doesn't change what happened to our family or what is still going to happen. But, Harry, there wasn't a day that went by that I haven't wished things could have been different."

"You want me to forget about all the past and start anew?" Harry asked quickly as she turned to walk towards the door. She paused but seemed to know better than to fall for any trap Harry had laid out for her and merely stood with her back to him. "I can't do that and you shouldn't ask me to." She nodded jerkily and Harry was once again left to himself.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**King's Cross Station**

Harry tumbled out of the floo and felt arms catch him before he could hit the ground. He couldn't help but put all his weight on whoever it was but pulled back quickly as soon as he was back on his own feet and realised that it was his father balancing him. He muttered a thank you to the man before turning to seek out Ben who had come out just before him with Harry's trunk and his own smaller holiday bag. Ben bit his lip but didn't say anything in the quiet of the platform. They'd arrived early so that Harry didn't have to navigate the crowds and together Ben, Damien and Harry found a compartment to themselves and James helped them stow the trunk, two bags and two owl cages before Ben and Damien hugged him.

Harry just sat inside the compartment as James warned the two to look out for him and each other and to just stay firm to what they believed in and after a few minutes Ben and Damien jumped up into the train and shut the outside door before sitting down. "This is going to be a long term." Ben sighed out.

"At least we get to have some fun watching everybody go into shock when Harry get's sorted tonight." Damien laughed.

"Joy." Harry grunted and Damien grinned at him before standing up and sitting next to him. Harry relaxed into his side and away from the window while Ben kept an eye on the arriving people, looking out for Ron and Hermione. "What are you going to say about Eridanus?"

"Well it's not like we could actually talk to him." Ben shrugged. "We'll just say that the last time we saw him was when he was trying to distract the Death Eaters from us. We already told mum and dad that Eri was the one that brought you into the house during the attack to try to help us."

Harry grunted in acceptance just as Ben perked up and pushed open the door. "Ron! 'Mione!" Harry picked his feet up off of the floor as Ben yelled to his two friends and he tucked his feet into his side making himself look rather small. Damien gripped his arm in support knowing that Harry was worried about how Ron and Hermione would treat him. In truth Harry was concerned that they'd reject knowing Harry and that would drive a wedge between them and Ben.

The two got on the train and put their luggage away before sitting down on Ben's side of the train and greeted Damien before going rather still when they saw Harry and instant confusion over who he was appeared on their faces. Harry watched them with his eyes and saw them both look over his clothing and appearance. He was wearing muggle clothes, new ones that Ben had bought from Muggle London for him. Baggy black jeans and a normal black t-shirt with a baggy dark red hoodie over the top. Ben had picked baggy clothing knowing that it helped to hide Harry's weakness and occasional shaking from other people.

To top it off Harry had trainers on his feet, Damien's birthday present, the Phoenix necklace, around his neck and he knew he really didn't fit in with a Wizarding crowd even if it was filled with Muggleborns.

"We're sorry!" Hermione gushed. "Are you new here? I didn't know the school accepted new students in the second term."

"Hermione!" Ben cut her off and caused both to look at him and it was Ron that gasped and began looking between the two. He'd probably spotted it first but Hermione soon saw the resemblance between the two and they both gasped. "This is Harry."

"Blimy Ben!" Ron stared at Harry as if he was about to burst into light like an angel. "That's your twin!"

"Keen observation, Ron." Damien laughed.

"He's supposed to be dead!" Ron gasped and Hermione rounded on him.

"Ron!" She screeched. "You don't just say things like that."

"It's alright. I think I'm going to get it a lot." Harry spoke up and got both of their unwavering attention again but the strain in his voice. Hermione frowned. "You must be Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger then? Ben and Damy have told me all about you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry." Hermione leaned forwards and offered her hand and Harry reached out and shook it. The bracelet showed itself as she shook his hand and she frowned at the shapes before letting go of him. "You're hand is so cold."

"He's normally cold." Ben said sadly. "It's..."

"It's what?" Ron asked his best friend.

"We'd rather not talk about it." Harry said bluntly and it took only a few seconds for Hermione to realise what that meant and a pity filled expression appeared on her face but she seemed to know better than to say anything about it. Ron was utterly clueless though.

"Where's Eri, Ben?" Ron suddenly spoke up just as the whistle blew and the train lurched into motion.

"He disappeared after the Death Eater attack." Damien said and instantly the other two snapped their heads around to look at him. "Uh..."

"I think we might have forgotten to mention that." Ben muttered and got twin glares from his best friends. Harry chuckled.

Damien launched into a brief explanation finishing with how Eridanus had brought Harry to their aid and with some quick magic he'd distracted the Death Eaters for long enough for the Order to come to the rescue.

"So you know Eridanus?" Hermione asked.

"I knew him but I never named him." Harry grunted. "Ben and Damy did that."

"How did you know him?" Ron asked with a frown.

"You don't think he just appeared out of nowhere did you?" Harry asked with his normal bout of sarcasm. "He had to come from somewhere."

"So where is he now?" Ron asked.

"Probably living it up on some tropical island." Harry frowned back. "How am I supposed to know?"

"I was just asking." Ron snapped but Ben stepped in before their argument could grow any worse.

"How about a game of cards?" Ben asked.

"That's a great idea!" Damien jumped at the excuse and grabbed his bag and pulled out a pack of muggle cards. At Damien's movement Thor hooted and flapped his wings in his cage.

"I think he wants out." Harry muttered absently, knowing how Thor and Hedwig acted now that he'd heard their actual words, even if he couldn't now. Luckily Pig wasn't here to irritate them though.

"We shouldn't..." Hermione bit her lip. "And besides, Eri isn't here to blame."

"And I care?" Harry stood up and shut his eyes to rid himself of the dizzy spell but was glad that neither of his brothers showed him up by helping him. He didn't like being weak all the time. He opened both cages and stroked both owls briefly before they flew to their owners.

"You could get in serious trouble for that." Hermione told him.

"I'm not a student yet." Harry told her and knowing that she'd recognised the bracelet as not something somebody would wear by choice he sat back down and looked at her. "Besides Dumbledore's put too much effort into forcing me to go to Hogwarts. What's he going to do? Expel me?"

"You shouldn't joke about being expelled!" Hermione gasped. "Where would you learn how to use magic?"

Harry snorted in amusement which seemed to offend the girl. "Sorry, Hermione, but that's a minor concern for me. Besides I already know most of it."

"And you shouldn't talk about the Headmaster like that." Ron seemed to come out of his shell at the slight against Dumbledore.

"Ron..." Ben warned. "I really don't want to have to listen to you praise the headmaster and Harry's liable to hex you if you preach to him about the godliness of Dumbledore."

Ron frowned at his best friend as if he'd just been betrayed but Damien came to the rescue again and started dealing out cards to play a game. Harry, knowing that holding cards would just betray his weakness, opted out and instead took Thor onto his lap and stroked him. Thor didn't seem to mind shifting his loyalty for a while and nuzzled into Harry's slightly shaking hand almost as if trying to sooth his trembling with his body.

When the train arrived in Hogsmeade Ben took responsibility for Harry's trunk while Damien forced Harry to put on the black beanie that his two brothers had bought for him for while the weather was too cold. He pulled it down over his head and grabbed Ben's back pack and slung it over his back in rebellion. Damien laughed at him before grabbing the two cages and his own bag. The cold hit Harry almost violently and he drew his arms over his front wishing that he'd worn his coat but it wouldn't be far to reach the carts that would take them up to the castle and soon the five of them bundled into one of the carts but just before it made to move off the door opened again and Ron's younger sister jumped in and took the last of the six seats.

"Hey!" She greeted looking at Ben, Hermione and then Damien with a bright grin before she lost it as she spotted Harry sitting between his two brothers. "Uh?"

"Gin, meet Ben's twin." Ron said rather abruptly making Harry frown at him. Did the guy really not like him?

She stared at him for a moment and blinked a few times. "I think you're going to have to get used to that reaction." Damien told his older brother playfully.

"Well, Ron could have been a little gentler." Hermione pointed out with a glare at Ron beside her.

"Well how exactly do you tell people that the long dead twin of Ben Potter is suddenly alive and going to Hogwarts?" Ron asked looking at Ben and Harry suddenly knew why Ron was so angry.

"You're seriously mad at Ben for not telling you?" Harry scoffed. "Pull your head out of your arse, Ron, he thought I was dead until last summer!"

Ron flinched and Ben glanced at his friend with a frown. "That's why you're angry?"

"Well you could have told us." Ron defended. "We're supposed to be your best friends and you've known for half a year!"

"This is personal, Ron." Ben told him rather abruptly and for the first time as a human Harry felt his anger trickling across their link. "We're twins and I thought I'd lost him almost ten years ago. If you want to hate me for keeping him to myself for half a year then you can do whatever you want."

"Ben..." Hermione started. "You can't blame Ron for being offended. This is rather major. The school's going to go crazy."

"Sod that." Ginny whispered. "The world's going to go ballistic at this."

"I'm so glad the survival of my twin is going to be so entertaining for the world." Ben snapped and all three looked at him in surprise. "Can we shut up about it now?"

"Sorry, Ben." Hermione apologised and she at least knew what was truly bothering Ben. He didn't want people ogling Harry when he was clearly still extremely ill.

The carriage came to a stop a few minutes of tense silence later and the others all got out before Harry stepped out into the cold again and put his hands into his hoodie pockets to keep them as warm as possible. He followed Ben up to the castle along with the rest of the crowd and everybody dumped their bags in the hallway to pick up after dinner. Ben looked around for something to do with Harry's trunk.

"I expect a House Elf will take it to whichever dorm Harry will stay in." Hermione told him. "Is he being sorted?"

"According to mum and dad he'll be sorted now." Damien spoke up.

"It doesn't really matter. If I'm not sorted into Gryffindor I'll still be staying with Ben all the time and going to his classes." Harry shrugged before pausing. "Dobby!"

Ben laughed even as the excitable House Elf that Eri had met a few times appeared before them. "Master Benjamin's brother!" He grinned happily. "How can Dobby be helping you?"

"Can you take my trunk up to Ben's dorm?" Harry asked.

"Headmaster Dumbledore be saying that we must take it to the right dorm once Master Harry is sorted." Dobby wringed his hands nervously.

"But then they'd have to haul it back on their own." Damien pointed out. "Harry's going to be staying with Ben this year regardless of where he's sorted."

"Headmaster Dumbledore isn't going to be liking that." Dobby pulled at one of his ears.

"You don't worry about that, Dobby." Harry said wearily. "I'm tell Dumbledore that you were only doing what we asked of you."

"Master Harry is a good boy." Dobby nodded. "I be doing what you say. I be seeing that a bed is put in Master Benjamin's dorm also." He nodded again and clicked his fingers and instantly the trunk and the House Elf were gone.

"You shouldn't use Dobby like that!" Hermione told them.

"You think I should haul my trunk up there myself?" Harry asked. "I'd get maybe a quarter of the way there."

Hermione seemed to want to argue but before she could realise that Ben could have carried it they were interrupted with the need to get to the feast. They walked into the Great Hall and all six moved towards the closest end of the Gryffindor table. There were luckily six seats together and Ron, Hermione and Ginny sat on the other side. Although a few Gryffindors spotted Harry and frowned at his appearance and unfamiliarity nothing was said about it and the Great Hall as a whole hadn't noticed.

Dumbledore stood up as soon as he saw them arrive and he seemed to have been waiting for them. Minerva stood up as well and moved forwards with a small wooden stall and the tattered Sorting Hat and everyone started whispering about the change in routine. "This term we start off on a slightly different note. The return of someone who until recently was believed lost to us. He has agreed to attend the school this year to be with his brothers and I must ask you all to give him the space he needs." Dumbledore introduced before raising a hand in Harry's direction making everyone turn to try to see him. "Harry Potter, would you please come up and be Sorted into your House?"

"Git." Harry grumbled but stood up and moved away from the safety of his brothers' sides and walked towards the front of the Hall preferring a slow speed rather than showing his weakness by trying to go faster. The noise level stayed low but with every step he took the whispering increased throughout the hall.

"Where's he been?" Somebody whispered.

"I thought he was dead!" Another hissed to their neighbour loud enough for half the table to hear.

"Doesn't he look rather ill?" A girl asked her friend.

"What's with the clothing?" With that last one Harry reached Minerva and almost gratefully sat on the wooden stool and pulled his beanie off his head making a complete mockery of the concept of neat hair. Minerva put the Sorting Hat on his head and Harry almost sighed out in relief at not having to look at the students as the Hat fell over his eyes. He could still hear them though.

"_You're definitely a first, my boy."_ The hat told him.

"_It doesn't really matter what you decide. I'm staying with Ben."_ Harry thought to the hat and got a chuckle in return.

"_I should not be surprised at your attitude but I can see the life you have led and the secrets you hide."_ The hat pointed out. _"Your secrets will remain with me I assure you. And you should know that I have met another like you before. My Master knew a boy who had your illness."_

"What?" Harry gasped out loud before remembering where he was._ "What happened?"_

"_I am afraid that your illness is not meant to be cured."_ The hat explained.

"_So the boy before me? He died from it?"_ Harry asked solemnly.

"_He discovered the same method as you did to extend his life so that he could be with those he loved but in the end the change overcame any resistance he had and the illness ran its course."_ The hat explained. Harry just stayed silent but he knew the hat had seen his imagination picturing a broken Ben sobbing after his death. _"Death is not always the final adventure." _Harry didn't say anything. _"So to Sort you then? As you say it doesn't really matter what I declare, you will go to your brother regardless. Therefore I will Sort you as I would have anyway. You are in truth devious enough for Slytherin, brave enough for Gryffindor, loyal enough for Hufflepuff and intelligent enough for Ravenclaw but it is not what you are that matters but what you strive for. Your life is driven and guided by your need to protect your siblings. You own happiness is always second to that so Slytherin would not suit you. You definitely feel loyalty for your siblings but it isn't a loyalty you work for. You would gladly die for them also but again there is no courage in that because you are not afraid of dying so Gryffindor does not suit you like it does your brother who shows true bravery in facing your illness every moment of his life."_ The hat paused for a long time before making his decision. _"Your own desires though tell me that because of your aversion to magic you have strived to harness the knowledge of everything around you so that you can aid your siblings in the future and that is the true strength of my chosen house. You may not become a true one but I will sort you into _Ravenclaw!"

The hat's last words were shouted and there was a sudden silence in the Hall as Minerva took the hat from his head. Harry instantly sought out Ben's face and got a smile from his twin. "Take a seat at the Ravenclaw table, Mr. Potter." McGonagall told him.

"I'd rather not." Harry told her rather abruptly and retraced his steps back to Ben's side. As soon as people realised what he was doing the muttering started again almost getting too loud to speak over and when Harry sat down between Ben and Damien again he glanced up to see what Dumbledore thought of that only to see him speaking quickly with a very annoyed looking Umbridge.

"You've only been here five minutes and you've already pissed off Umbridge." Damien laughed looking in the same direction.

Dumbledore stood up and gained everyone's attention quickly. "With that sorted out, so to speak, please enjoy your meal and I bid you all agood night and a good start to the first week of classes."

Food burst into existence all over the tables but Harry wasn't all that hungry and apart from a few odd bits of fruit he avoided much of it and Ben and Damien eventually took pity on him and the three left. They were brought up in the entrance hall when Dumbledore came out of a side corridor, how he'd known when to catch them was beyond Harry.

"Harry, my boy." Dumbledore sighed.

"Firstly I'm not your boy." Harry snapped. "And secondly, don't you dare judge my choice. That Hat accepted it and I'm staying with Ben all year."

"That said you've drawn attention to yourself from Professor Umbridge who already had a grudge against your brother." Dumbledore told him softly. "It might not have been wise to aggravate her in such a way."

"As for drawing attention, I think reappearing from the grave does that anyway." Harry told him harshly. "And I couldn't give a damn about what she thinks. She can try to expel me if she wants, it's not going to make a difference to me. I already think she sent those Dementors against Ben and Damien to expel them in the summer."

"The Protonus was you?" Dumbledore was clearly shocked, probably because Harry had been operating so close by without him even having a hint of his continued existence. "And if she expels Ben along with you?" He returned to the original conversation.

"Then we'll finally get some peace." Ben snapped.

"Be that as it may I urge you to watch yourself." Dumbledore sighed.

"Watch myself?" Harry laughed. "As if I need to with this thing on my wrist. I've checked the spells on this with my Aura, it's a prison and you know it."

"It's for your protection." Dumbledore told him as if it was an old argument.

"It's like locking someone in an airtight box. It would keep them safe for a while but they'd still suffocate in the end." Harry hissed. "Where's my wand?" He said to change the subject. "You can't expect me to be at a magic school without a wand and as soon as Voldemort learns of my return he'll try to kill me and I refuse to be defenceless when that happens."

"Your wand is here." Dumbledore pulled it from his pocket. "Where did the core come from?"

"You had it inspected?" Harry asked.

"Olivander tells me he didn't make it. So who did?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's Phoenix feather, tears and blood." Harry said knowing that Dumbledore would already know that.

"Where did you get the Phoenix feather and tears?" Dumbledore pressed.

"Let's think, what Phoenix do we all know other than Fawkes?" Harry snipped. "You don't think that Eri just appeared out of nowhere and took an urge to protect Ben and Damien. He was here watching over them for me since we couldn't trust you to protect them."

"Harry..." Dumbledore sighed. "Be that as it may you used human blood in that wand. By Ministry law it should be destroyed."

"It's my blood so that's a load of crap and it was made by Nicolas Flamel so it's perfectly legal."

"Nicolas Flamel?" Dumbledore went pale.

"You have no idea how disappointed in you he was after he found out what you did to me when I was a child." Harry hissed going in for the kill and ignoring Ben's hand around his arm trying to warn him not to. "Hurts doesn't it Dumbledore but at least you know that there was someone that had the time to be with them when they died."

Dumbledore seemed only capable of staring at him in shock and Harry walked past him as he pocketed his wand. "Did you have to do that?" Ben asked. "You don't need to make an enemy of him."

"Benji." Harry sighed. "The only people in this castle that I want anything to do with are the two of you and you're not going to abandon me no matter how much of a bastard I act."

Damien laughed before looping an arm around Harry's waist, being a brother and a support as they climbed up to the lofty heights of the Gryffindor Common Room.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

There was a tense silence in the fifth year boys' dorm the next morning at the arrival of a sixth bed that Harry actually used rather than appear strange for his and Ben's closeness and since Harry woke earlier and showered and changed he left the dorm while the other five boys were still getting up and went down to the Common Room which wasn't even his own to wait for Ben and Damien to come down.

He was surprised when he wasn't the first down. Sitting on the couch pouring over a wad of parchment was the Weasley twins that Harry had met as Eridanus many times, firstly at The Burrow last summer and then at school. They looked up at him and their eyes widened slightly. Harry sat down in a chair beside the fire but the two boys didn't take their eyes off of him.

"We've been wondering..." One started. Maybe Fred but it could have been George.

"What makes a guy run away and..." The other continued.

"Leave his twin brother alone." The first finished off. Harry frowned at them but knew that they didn't do it on purpose. Acacia and Crisanta did it on occasion when talking about the same thing.

"We heard you died." Harry had looked away and he wasn't even sure which of the two had spoken but he looked up at the sadness in the voice.

"You blame me for leaving?" Harry asked.

"I just can't imagine doing that to Fred." The one that had spoken first, George, told him.

"Nor me to him." Fred declared and they looked really interested in what Harry would say.

"I was going to die." Harry said quietly. "We were five and Ben was giving up every moment of his life to look after me. Our parents..." Harry flinched. "Well they alone with Remus, Sirius and Dumbledore decided it was best to distance themselves from me and they tried to get Ben and Damien to do it too. Ben would have lost his mind watching me waste away so I ran away."

"To spare him the pain." Fred nodded to him. "I don't know if I could leave George if I was going to die. I'd need..."

"Him." Harry nodded. "I know. And we did need each other but we could sense that the other was alive."

"I always knew he was alive somewhere. At least some part of me always knew." Ben's voice made Harry jump and then all three of them looked towards the stairs to the dorms to see Ben there. Ben quickly walked across the room and sat on the arm of Harry's chair. Harry leaned into his side unconsciously but then saw Fred and George studying them again.

"As it worked out my leaving meant I found a way to prolong my life." Harry said bluntly.

"Prolong?" George frowned. "You mean...?"

"We'd rather not talk about it." Ben tensed up.

"But yeah." Harry nodded. "I'm still going to die at some point."

"But you did something to survive this long." Fred frowned and Harry knew that in these two Ben and Harry really had people that wanted to help them somehow and for a change it was purely for Ben and Harry and not for the good of the Wizarding World. They understood the pain they were in over this and wanted to help.

"Dumbledore put this tracker on me." Harry told the Weasley twins and looked up at Ben to tell him silently that he trusted the two red heads. "But it also blocks what I used to use to keep the illness at bay."

"Why don't you tell Dumbledore that and have it taken off?" George asked.

"Because then Dumbledore would know what Harry does and he'd lose his freedom." Ben declared just as people came down the girls' staircase and the four stopped their conversation.

"We'll get together and have a look at that bracelet." Fred told them quietly in all seriousness. "We're good with that sort of thing and if there's anything we can do to help."

"Thank you." Harry smiled at them just as Damien came bounding down the stairs, searched them out and came running over to greet them. "You've been at the sugar again haven't you?" Harry asked and Ben laughed at his youngest brother's expense.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Their first class of the day was also Ben's least favourite, Potions, and it started off on a bad note when Snape let them into the classroom and spotted Harry sitting down next to Ben. "This is a class for Gryffindors and Slytherins, Mr Potter." Snape sneered. "You may be Hogwarts' newest celebrity, acclaimed for your recent resurrection, but that doesn't give you a reason to avoid the school rules."

"If I cared about the school rules that might be an issue." Harry said bluntly and saw Snape's face grow ever so slightly red with anger. The man clenched his jaw.

"I have neither the time nor the patience needed to deal with brats with superiority complexes but you will serve detention with me tonight at eight o'clock." Snape declared before making to start his class.

"That's unfair!" Ben cried before Harry could stop him. "He's not done anything wrong!"

"Silence, Mr Potter." Snape snapped. "You will hold your tongue. You are already failing this class, you need not add to it." Ben looked furious but he kept his temper in check. "You'll join your dear brother in detention tonight."

Ben almost hissed through his teeth at that but Harry grabbed his arm to calm him and leaned into his ear as soon as Snape had finished his lecture on the Obedience Draught that they were supposed to brew in this double period. "He was looking for an excuse to get us both into detention. You could have kissed his robes and he'd still have found a reason. Mum and Dad said he was supposed to start teaching you Occlumency so maybe this is how."

"He doesn't have to be such a git about it." Ben hissed.

Harry sighed but stood up to get the ingredients from the cupboard that he'd need for the advanced potion that he could brew in his sleep. He didn't have to look at the instructions and he worked on his own almost with half a mind while helping Ben with his own and helping Hermione and Ron, who were on the table behind them, with their own. Hermione realised how good Harry was at potions and started in on Harry with questions about anything to do with Potions. Harry also tried to explain to Ben what the ingredients they were adding did and by the end of the two and a half hours Hermione, Harry and Ben had perfect potions. Harry's was clearly slightly better but that was through his natural knack for potions. Ron's was a slightly off colour but was still correctly brew but just a little haphazard. Harry has stopped him from blowing it up four times.

Only two more students managed to make a working potion and three more managed to blow it up in the same way that Ron had attempted. Snape took a quick walk around the classroom marking each of the potions before the student could clear away and because Ben had claimed a spot near the back they were among the last to be marked but most of the students were still clearing up and packing away. Draco Malfoy was the only student so far to receive praise from the Potions Master for his 'perfect example' and when Snape arrived at Harry and Ben's desk his face tensed showing that he'd recognised the well made potions.

A sneer spread across his face. "It seems that your twin has the same ineptitude in his academic work as you do. Perhaps a study is in order?" Snape sneered at Harry who gritted his teeth even as the Slytherin side of the room laughed. "Once again you have completely messed up a simple potion."

"Why?" Harry asked simply. "Why is this messed up and what did we supposedly do?"

"Harry..." Ben hissed.

"No, I want to know what the great Potions Master has conjured in his imagination as being wrong with this." Harry straightened up but had to keep his hands on the table top to stop them from shaking. He'd been standing up for the double period and it was taking a toll on him.

"I will not be spoken to like that!" Snape snapped.

"Answer the damn question then!" Harry snapped just as abruptly. "That's your job as a Professor after all."

"You forgot to add the Porcupine Quills before the Newt's tail making this potion completely useless." Snape sneered.

"That wouldn't be a visible difference." Harry grinned in victory. "It wouldn't change the texture or the colour. You would have actually have had to watch the error to know or try it since it would have lost its potency."

"Silence boy!" Snape gritted his teeth.

"If that's the problem with it then try it." Harry challenged.

"I don't make a habit of trying potions that my student's attempt to make." Snape snapped.

"But if that's what's wrong with it then it won't do anything to you. If it's wrong then it isn't poisonous and won't affect you. If it's right then you'll be compliant to everything your told for the next hour." Harry continued his challenge. "Of course since you're so sure that these are wrong you don't have to worry about whatever we tell you to do will you?"

"Get out!" Snape hissed dangerously. "I will not be challenged in my own classroom!"

"This isn't a classroom, it's a showground for your hypocrisy." Harry hissed but Ben had already grabbed their bags and making to pull Harry away from Snape who was going a very unattractive shade of red. Harry hadn't finished though and turned to Malfoy. "Next time make sure you add the right amount of Poxy hair, your texture's wrong."

"Harry, shut up." Ben hissed in his ear and tugged him from the room. "You..." Ben gasped out as he got him halfway to the entrance hall before leaning on the wall.

Harry looked at him. "He had it coming to him. Besides I didn't say anything that wasn't the truth."

"We've got detention with him tonight." Ben reminded him. Harry just shrugged.

"You wanna help me up to Transfiguration now so I can talk to McGonagall about this?" Harry offered.

"Why do you have to tell her?" Ben sighed.

"Because he's going to keep failing you at every opportunity." Harry pointed out. Ben sighed but helped Harry walk up to their next class regardless. "That reminds me, we've got everything we need to brew the Animagus Awakening potion. We can start it this weekend if you want and then you and Damien can start practicing."

"Don't you think we have enough on our plates right now?" Ben asked him. Harry shrugged. "I love you, Harry, but sometimes you're infuriating."

"You just don't like it that your younger brother came to your rescue again." Harry chuckled and nudged Ben's shoulder with his own.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**That evening**

Harry, Ben and Damien were sitting eating dinner when the owls flocked into the room carrying the evening edition of the Daily Prophet to all of the students with subscriptions. Harry sighed miserably as one landed in front of Hermione and he saw the front page report clearly. "Brother of the Boy-Who-Lived returns from the grave." Was plastered across the front.

"Well that's not particularly accurate." Harry pointed out. "I wasn't in a grave."

"Funny, Harry." Ben rolled his eyes. "What's it say, 'Mione?"

"Nothing really nice." Hermione met his eyes with a wince. "They've managed to make him out to be even more of an attention seeking child than they have with you this year. According to this it's believed that he was never really ill and it was just a plot by your family to garner sympathy from the Wizarding World and now that you've lost the 'love of the people' you've brought him back into the open to try to rekindle that sympathy."

"Well that's just stupid!" Ginny, who was sitting close by declared.

"But by the looks of it half of the school seem to believe it." Damien pointed out as he eyed the students around them.

"Well, when I drop dead in front of them they won't be spreading rumours anymore." Harry stated rather louder than necessary and the people that had been whispering about them paused to listen to him. "Anyway, I don't give a shit what people think. I never have."

"Harry..." Ben tried.

"I've lost my appetite." Harry told him.

"You didn't eat _anything_!" Ben frowned at him.

"Ben.." Harry tried.

"Harry." Ben pleaded.

"I'm just going to throw up if I eat anything. My body can't handle this food." Harry begged his brother, he really didn't want to be guilted into eating something and then have to throw up in front of so many people. "I'll get some fruit later I promise."

Ben sighed but then stood up and threw glares at anyone even though he knew that nobody had heard the last part of their conversation. People started talking excitedly to their friends as Harry and Ben walked out of the Great Hall together.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Two hours later Ben and Harry walked into the Potions classroom to find Snape sitting behind his desk. "Sir? You said eight o'clock." Ben spoke up.

"How observant of you, Mr Potter." Snape sneered. "Get in a shut the door."

Harry sat on one of the desks since there were no stools in the classroom and completely ignored Snape's glare. Remarkably none of the Professors that day had commented on his lack of uniform but his mother had probably warned Dumbledore about what Harry had planned. "Attitudes like what you showed this morning in class will not be tolerated in these sessions, Mr Potter."

"You deserved it." Harry said bluntly. "You could lose your Master's certificate if the Guild ever found out that you were failing a student merely because of your hatred of him."

"You will watch how you talk to me." Snape snapped.

"Snape, I really don't care about this school, about this pathetic war or what Dumbledore thinks is necessary." Harry snapped. "I'm here to protect my brothers from Voldemort and also from people like you that are trying your hardest to cripple him in the hope that you can control him. Well let me point something out to you, Snape. You can't hope to control someone that knows they are going to die in a short amount of time."

Snape flinched and Harry realised that he'd been purposely ignoring the fact that Harry was dying. "You should respect your..."

"Fuck off, Snape." Harry cut him off. "I lost all respect for adults when they locked me in a room to die alone."

Snape seriously flinched this time but he drew himself up. "These sessions will be used to teach the two of you how to protect your mind from intruders. You will do as you are told and you will not waste my time. The art of Occlumency is used to protect your mind from the art of Legilimency which Voldemort is well versed in. Now, clear your mind."

Harry was about to argue the pointlessness of such a demand when Snape raised his wand and cast the Legilimency spell directly at Ben who was too shocked to put up even a token attempt to dodge. Harry had his wand out in an instant and cast a silent Legilimency spell on his own brother and touched his arm as his mind slipped more easily into Ben's mind than Snape's.

Ben's mind was suited perfectly for Harry and welcomed it but with Snape it instinctively tried to block his attack but Snape still saw flashes of Ben's childhood even as Harry attacked Snape's mind and blocked him, sending him barrelling out of his mind. Harry retreated in time to see Snape stumble backwards even as Ben collapsed back onto the floor. Harry jumped off the table top and crouched by Ben's side.

"Your brother can't rely on you coming to his rescue for his whole life." Snape sneered at him though he was clearly shaken by Harry's knowledge of Legilimency.

"If you bastards would actually try to teach him properly then maybe he wouldn't need my help!" Harry almost spat at the Professor and Ben was on his feet instantly as pain blossomed across their link as Harry's body rejected the use of his magic once again. They hadn't had to do any spells in their classes that day but Harry hadn't even thought about the pain before reacting. If Snape discovered the truth behind Harry then it would be the end of them.

"Don't use magic, you idiot!" Ben hissed and helped Harry to stand.

"Magic?" Snape frowned as Harry pulled out a vial of Aphet's Potion and swallowed it. Snape's eyes widened as he saw the vial and recognised it as one of the ones he was supplying to Poppy for Harry to take. Harry put the empty vial in his pocket and glared at Snape who flicked his wand and Harry felt magic slam into him again as Snape silently cast the Legilimency spell on him. Harry felt it hit his burning mental barriers. Part of the final steps to perfecting advanced magic like his Aura was surrounding your mind with your magic. It wasn't the same as actually building mental barriers but it had the advantage of brute force. There were no openings until you striped the magic itself and that could only be done through exhausting it or overwhelming it.

Snape's mind was greeted with a wall of flames that he couldn't touch. He retreated and Harry glared at him. "Who trained you to use your Aura to protect your mind?"

"The same person that taught me Potions." Harry snapped.

"How are you able to use your Aura to protect your brother's mind?" Snape pressed.

"He's my twin." Harry sneered.

"One twin's magical Aura cannot travel into the body of another." Snape sneered as if Harry was stupid.

"You saw it in his mind." Harry snapped and Snape couldn't refute that.

"Clearly having you present for these lessons is unnecessary." Snape told him abruptly. "You may leave. Benjamin however will have to remain until he has learnt to form normal Occlumency barriers."

"He's not staying here if you're going to teach him by throwing spells at him." Harry countered.

"And you think you can teach him?" Snape sneered.

"Not Occlumency no." Harry shook his head. "I can show him my way."

"Your way is not permitted to be taught at this school. It is too dangerous." Snape told him bluntly.

"And raping Ben's mind is safer?" Harry sneered and grabbed his brother's hand who had merely been following the argument in silence. Harry pulled him out of the door and got all the way to the entrance hall before his energy gave out and Ben had to catch him.

"You shouldn't be getting so angry at everything." Ben chided him. "Especially not after your body reacted to magic like that."

"It's not my fault I'm angry." Harry admitted as Ben let Harry rest against his side. "The more time I spend as human the more your emotions reach across to me. I'm not as used to keeping check of my anger as you are."

"Harry?" Ben asked in shock.

"I know how angry you are." Harry sighed. "At everything they are doing to you and especially what they're doing to me. You get angrier every time I do and it stops me being able to keep my temper in check."

"I'm sorry." Ben sighed.

"It's not your fault and it might get easier once you've awakened your Animagus form." Harry told him. "That's another reason I'm angrier, without Eri's temperament to counter my own I'm more a rebellious teenager."

"Being a rebellious teenager never hurt me." Ben grinned down at him.

They got up through the busy Common Room and Damien chased them up to the dorm to find out what had happened but before they could reach it Ben gasped in pain and crumpled to the ground as if the energy had been drained from his body. Harry was sent flying as they went from Harry leaning on his older brother to Ben's weight tumbling into him. By the time Harry got to his knees again Damien was rolling Ben onto his back and checking him over. Pain was written across Ben's features and a moment later Harry felt a dull echo of the pain bounce through their twin link but it wasn't so open in this direction.

"Voldemort..." Ben hissed out through his teeth and Harry gasped and lunged over Ben's body grabbing the sides of his face. His body flashed with his Aura and Damien scuttled back to avoid it since he couldn't touch it like Ben could. His Aura completely surrounded Ben and Harry whispered the spell just like he had in the Potions Classroom and fell into Ben's mind. He couldn't see anything but he instantly felt the pain that Ben was in but also a euphoric happiness spreading from the edge of his mind. He flooded every part of Ben's mind with his Aura and formed a shield around it temporarily and held it there until the pain faded.

He sat back and rubbed at his chest but knew he'd have to deal with the pain of using his magic again rather than take a second potion in so short a time. Ben groaned and sat up and Damien gasped at the burning in his eyes. "It'll fade." Harry grunted to Damien.

"What did you do?" Damien asked.

"Voldemort was in my head." Ben gasped. "He was so happy about something. Happier than he's ever been in my lifetime."

"I blocked him out of Ben's mind with my magic. I'll have to do it every time until I can teach him how to do it with his own Aura." Harry sighed. "I'll teach you as well, Damy. I can't protect you in the same way."

"You have to take it easy." Ben told him and lifted Harry's drained form up into his arms. Harry didn't even have the energy left to argue being treated like an invalid. "That's twice in an hour you've used magic."

"I didn't have a choice." Harry grumbled as Ben sat down in his bed and settled Harry beside him. Harry turned and used Ben's stomach as a pillow and listened with half a mind as Ben told Damien everything that had happened in their 'detention'.

"You've only been at school for a day, Harry." Damien sighed at the end even though Harry was half asleep. "You're worse than Ben."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	13. At their lowest

Birth of a Phoenix

Chapter 13; At the lowest

**The next day – Great Hall**

Harry was sitting sleepily next to Benjamin in the Great Hall for breakfast. Damien was on his other side like at every meal, guarding him, and Ron and Hermione were on the other side of the table. Hermione reading a Daily Prophet while Ron scoffed down breakfast at a speed that had Harry feeling rather ill and put him off his own meagre food. He had his head propped up on his right arm, with his elbow on the table, and was pushing the cereal around in the bowl.

"You have to eat something, Harry." Ben whispered to him.

"I might be able to if Ronald over there didn't have the ability to inhale food and air at the same time." Harry grumbled making Ron freeze up and look at him in horror as if mentioning his inhaling of food was somehow a topic that shouldn't be brought up. Hermione snorted in amusement and Harry saw her eyes flicker up and take in Ben, Harry and then Damien.

"I don't inhale food." Ron argued spraying food across the table.

"Ron." Hermione huffed in disgust before passing the newspaper across the table.

"Maybe you should read this, Ben." Hermione suggested. "Before you start hearing people talking about it."

"Not about him then?" Harry asked her taking her by surprise. Harry didn't normally talk to people other than his brothers.

She shook her head and Harry leant across to see what Ben was reading. The headline read 'Mass breakout from Azkaban'. "Well that explains last night then." Harry grumbled.

"Yeah, Voldemort was happy." Ben frowned and put the paper down on the table top, clearly going off his food.

"It says that they think an old Death Eater is rallying them." Hermione sighed. "It's not like he can admit that Voldemort... don't hiss Ronald!... is back."

Harry raised an eyebrow but then shrugged. "The question is how did they get around the Dementors?"

"Well isn't that obvious?" Ron looked superior. "They've gone over to You-Know-Who!"

"Then who was it that set the Dementor on Damien and Ben during the summer?" Harry muttered almost to himself.

"You mean the one that somebody ran off?" Hermione asked. "Did you find out who....? Wait, was that you?"

Harry nodded bluntly but Ron interrupted. "Well isn't that just peachy. You have the nerve to hide around for half a year before you told anyone, did Ben and Damien even know you were there?"

"Yes we did, Ron." Ben growled. "Now, shut up."

"Ben." Harry soothed cutting across any argument.

"You said you don't know who sent the Dementors after them during the summer." Hermione prompted. "Don't you think it was Voldemort?"

"Voldemort wants Ben and Damien dead, not expelled." Harry said bluntly.

"You don't think it was there to kill them?" Hermione frowned but she leant forwards, eager to hear Harry's opinion.

"If you want to kill someone you send more than just one Dementor." Harry pointed out. "If you want them to use magic so you can pick it up outside their home and therefore expel them then you send just one Dementor. Enough so that they can cast magic to defend themselves."

"You have a point but who do you..." Hermione started but Ben cut her off with a sigh and by standing up.

"Come on guys, let's not talk about this. I've got a headache enough as it is."

"You do?" Harry stood up with Ben's help. "How come I can't feel it?"

Ben blushed slightly and Damien laughed. "Now who's hiding pain?" Damien asked in amusement."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

As normal Ben and Harry were sitting down when everyone else started arriving for Charms class, their first since Christmas. It was actually one of the few lectures that Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were together for so it meant Harry wouldn't be getting in an argument with the professor over his presence. It was clear that some of the professors saw that Harry should be with Ben at all times but there were others that Harry had argued with. Yesterday they'd had the detentions given to them from Snape but that was because Harry had answered back and because Snape had wanted them in detention anyway. After that they'd had Care of Magical Creatures which was with a rather subdued Hagrid who had barely noticed that Harry was present. They'd had History of Magic as well but... well that was History of Magic.

Ben had Charms this morning followed by Transfiguration with Slytherin and then finally a double Defence Class that afternoon with Ravenclaw which was a god send since Harry would at least be in the right class when they dealt with Umbridge for the first time. Already yesterday Harry and Ben have dived into a secret passageway to avoid her in the hallway trying to prolong the argument they knew was coming.

The class all filtered into the room in twos and threes and Hermione sat on Ben's other side with Ron on the far end. That left Harry between Ben and the wall along the bench and that was fine by Harry. Professor Flitwick came in last and made his way to his overly large pile of books so that he could stand and take in the classroom. His eyes locked with Harry's for a moment before he smiled.

"Firstly, let's welcome our new student to the classroom." Flitwick announced and everyone looked at Harry. Harry glanced at the Ravenclaws sitting across the room and while a few seemed annoyed that he'd ignored his entry into their house the rest seemed to either not care or realised that he was only bothered with being at Ben's side. "I'm going to use this class to go over what we all know. Not just for the benefit of the younger Mr. Potter but to refresh you all after your holiday."

There was a general groan around the room but Harry spotted Hermione straighten up with a smile, eager to begin. He spotted a few Ravenclaw students like that too and he grinned a grim smile. "How about we start with you, Miss Granger?" Flitwick offered. "The Aguamenti charm please? Just a small one, we don't all want to be drenched."

"_Aguamenti!"_ Hermione intoned perfectly and a small torrent of water flowed out of her wand and onto the floor. She beamed at her success.

"Now, Miss Patil, kindly cast a charm capable of clearing up the water?" He prompted and within a few seconds Patil, from Ravenclaw, had done just that.

"How about you, Mr. Potter?" Flitwick paused and blinked. "Benjamin," He amended. "The banishing charm."

Without warning Flitwick flicked his wand over his shoulder and a pillow launched itself across the room at Ben who flicked his own wand and spoke the incantation smoothly. "Excellent, Mr. Potter." Flitwick beamed as the cushion flew right back to where it had started.

"Perhaps something a little simpler to start with, Harry Potter?" Flitwick offered.

"Professor Flitwick, Sir." Ben straightened up, almost shielding Harry. "I don't think it's a good idea for Harry to use magic."

"Why not, Mr. Potter?" Flitwick asked.

"Uh..." Ben paused as Harry touched him on the arm, neither of them really wanted the truth about Harry's illness out becoming rumour though if he had to do too much magic that might cause a problem.

"I promise only a small charm." Flitwick promised.

"Size isn't going to matter at this level, Professor." Harry told him simply. "Only seventh year advanced spells cause an appreciable problem."

"The Headmaster did mention that you had had tutoring." Flitwick prompted. "Perhaps something we haven't covered this year yet? How about you make this cushion hard to the touch? Not transfiguration mind you."

Harry winced knowing that this would hurt and even as the cushion hovered in the centre of the classroom he just gritted his teeth and swirled his wand in front of him as he cast the spell, forgetting to speak the charm as well as think it. His silent spell turned the cushion as hard as granite even if was still made of cloth and stuffing.

"Oh, excellently done, Mr. Potter." Flitwick announced with a clap. "Silent casting as well and flawlessly done."

"Not bad for the first time." Harry grunted as he leaned into Ben's arm who turned to him as Harry straightened up and pressed a hand into his chest as his breathe caught. Ben could feel it too and clearly Flitwick had seen it as well. Harry fumbled with one of the bottles in his pocket and downed it quickly, hiding what the bottle looked like from the rest of the students. The pain ebbed but was replaced by a dull tightness rooted deeply in his chest.

"Harry, you can't take those so often." Ben grumbled. Harry had already taken two last night and another one this morning, and that was barely an hour ago.

"Mr. Potter?" Flitwick asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine, Professor." Harry told him. He'd let the whole thing slide without comment in the hopes that he wouldn't be called upon to cast magic again in that class. He was hoping that he wouldn't have to turn to one of the Professors, like his head of house or Minerva McGonagall to tell the rest of his professors not to ask him to cast magic. He didn't want Dumbledore thinking he was weaker than he was or he'd never let him off his leash. He itched under the manacle around his wrist as he thought about it and Ben touched his hand to show he'd noticed Harry's fidgeting.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The rest of that day went on as it started. Transfiguration was a little easier on Harry because McGonagall didn't single Harry out of the class and miraculously Harry wasn't bothered by Umbridge in Defence, presumably because she refused to acknowledge Harry's presence in her classroom, his lack of uniform didn't seem to be enough to warrant a reaction from her and although Harry caught her watching him a few times she didn't speak to him. He didn't delude himself into thinking he could get away with anything though and over the next few weeks she never reacted to him. Perhaps she'd been warned off of getting to into Harry's face as it were by the Minister. Perhaps he didn't want Harry, who was so far neither being disgraced or praised in the papers, to be alienated from the Ministry. Granted there were still the odd stories about Harry being a plot by the Potters to attract attention but the rumours around the school were close to the truth, that Harry had run away to spare his family the pain of losing him and it seemed the Wizarding World felt pity for him and the Ministry couldn't be seen to publicly be causing him more pain. And not only were the students beginning to believe that Harry was really ill, especially with his obvious bouts of pain in most of his classes, but their points and whispers in the corridors seemed to be in Ben's favour and not at his expense.

In all though there wasn't much of an improvement, in fact as time drew on Harry and Ben started to feel like they were in the solitary ward in a prison. The Professors hardly ever even acknowledged students in the corridors, it was always quiet anywhere but in the common rooms and to make matters worse for Ben, Umbridge was personally supervising both Hagrid's and Trelawney's classes and it was clear she was drawing it out as painfully as possible until she could decided which to get rid of first. Everything except for his brothers had been taken away from Ben. He could no longer risk sending mail to his parents, Sirius or Remus or even his little sisters knowing that Hedwig could be attacked again and his mail read. He couldn't even think about using the floo system knowing that Umbridge was watching it carefully. Then there was the Quidditch situation which while Ben's lifetime ban hadn't bothered him that much last year because he'd had Harry to distract him, it was really starting to eat into him now that Harry was getting weaker every day.

Harry was having to visit Madam Pomfrey every few days because the pain in his chest was growing worse with every week that went past with the manacle on his wrist and even with the help of the Weasley twins and even a less enthusiastic Hermione and Ron they hadn't been able to so much as dent it. Harry imagined that every spell he could think of had been cast at it without any effect.

To make it all the worse Snape was still pulling Ben into detentions three times a week and baring Harry from being able to assist him. Harry had put a permanent block of his own power around the deepest part of Ben's mind, the part that held all of their personal secrets, and while they were sure Snape could sense the bit of Harry's magic within his twin he couldn't do anything about it. It burnt his mind whenever he so much as got near it. Dumbledore had told Ben personally that it was too dangerous for them to play with their core magic in such a way and that he should allow Snape to teach him in the best way that he knew. Ben had been so angry at that conversation he'd smashed the window in the fifth year boys' dorm.

And Harry wasn't all that convinced that Snape's lessons were doing Ben any good at all since almost every night Ben was waking up with nightmares, either about a long black corridor or some painful memory about Harry and his young childhood that Snape had dredged up from the depths of Ben's mind. Every time Harry found himself stuck up in the common room while Ben was at one of those sessions he found himself getting angrier and angrier at the injustice of it. Ben was _his_ twin, his mind belonged to Ben first of all and to Harry second just as Harry's mind belonged to Harry and Ben in the same measures. Snape had no right snooping around inside of Ben's mind but without causing more trouble for them they couldn't shout out about it. As it was Harry was having to focus all day on not losing his mind to the almost constant sense of pain that haunted his every movement.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**February 14****th**

Harry stared across the room rather morosely as he watched Ben getting changed to go to Hogsmeade for Valentine's day. Somebody had finally gotten to Ben regardless of Ben's rather one track mind but he'd only agreed to take Cho Chang into Hogsmeade on a date because she'd happened to ask when Ben, Harry and Damien had been walking through the school together. To start with Ben had denied her saying that he had to stay to look after Harry but Damien had leapt in with the assurance that he would look after his big brother.

Harry thought that Ben had only agreed because Harry had said he should. He hated the fact that Ben was once again giving up his own life for him and Ben needed to relax for the day and honestly he needed to get away from always caring for Harry at every moment.

Damien was sitting beside Harry on the bed. He'd announced last week to his friends that he wasn't going to be going into Hogsmeade for the day and when they realised it was because Harry wasn't 'permitted' they didn't mention it again. Gryffindor had gotten used to him being around and they accepted him and even sided with him in the corridors. Especially when it came to Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad who seemed to delight in tripping Harry up in the corridors. The first time that had happened the Slytherin who had done it had been cursed so badly by Ben that he'd ended up in the Hospital Wing. Ben had then gotten a week's worth of detentions with Umbridge to add to the thrice weekly ones with Snape. The good thing was that the other Professors had realised the strain that Ben was under and although they never made it obvious they never called on him with questions they knew he might not know and even though his work was definitely slipping in class his grades remained the same. They were pulling him up and keeping him afloat academically and Harry was grateful.

"It's like he's going on a first date." Damien whispered to Harry though it was loud enough for Ben to hear. Harry laughed and that prevented Ben from retaliation.

"Ben, you're twenty minutes late already. If you don't leave now I'm going to forbid you from using me as an excuse for why." Harry warned.

Ben huffed, hugged him quickly and ran from the room, probably to avoid further teasing from his younger brothers. "So what are we going to do today? Us being the only ones remaining in the school above my year?"

"Work on your Panther." Harry announced with a grin. They'd finally gotten around to brewing the Animagus potion and Ben and Damien had both taken it. Ben had told Hermione and Ron and although Ben and Ron had argued over the fact that Ron and Hermione hadn't been given the chance they finally made up when Ben explained that it was something the three brothers really had to do together. Ben had promised Ron that when this all got better he would show them how to do it. Hermione, surprisingly, had understood Ben's desire to do this alone with his brothers straightaway and had been vital in keeping Ron and Ben from hitting one another. Damien had seen his form, a Black Panther, just like Nicolas' form and Harry's Protonus. Ben's was a Golden Eagle which had made Ben grin for weeks after finding out, just thinking about flying with Harry once they got the manacle off of him.

Damien didn't say it as he sat cross-legged on Harry's bed as Harry sat against his pillows but he knew that this choice wasn't just because Damien needed the practice but also because Harry was feeling much weaker today compared to the last few weeks and was looking sicker than he ever had when he wasn't having an attack. Harry hadn't told them but his chest was hurting so much he was having trouble not crying out in pain. He'd had to almost completely block Ben and his bond to hide it so that Ben would go on his date.

Damien was relaxing himself and focusing on learning about his form and how it linked into his own mind and body and Harry was reading Ben's advanced magic book where it talked about using magic cores to counter alien spells on the body when it happened. Harry felt numb throughout his chest and then his face went cold as the blood drained from it. His throat closed up a moment before a shooting pain shot through his upper torso and most dangerously his left arm. He gasped out and Damien snapped out of his meditation and scrambled over him looking for his vials of Aphet's potion.

"It's not my disease!" Harry gasped grabbing at a panicking Damien and holding him still in front of him with surprising strength. "Get Pomfrey!" Harry snapped knowing that that was his only hope. Damien launched himself from the room, almost hitting the wall beside the door in his haste to get out. He yelled at the top of his lungs for help on the way but Harry doubted there was anyone else left in the tower. It was a nice, snow covered, day today and any of the first and second years would be out in the grounds in the snow.

Harry knew there was no hiding this pain from Ben but he did try for a while to soften the blow he knew his twin would get but as the seconds trickled into a minute and then two minutes he couldn't prevent it and he'd be surprised if Ben could get himself back to the castle without help.

Damien slammed back into the room only half a minute after he'd left and he leapt up onto the bed with Harry begging to be told what to do. Harry just turned into him letting him hold him as his heart struggled to beat. He couldn't speak over the pain and he could feel Damien really starting to panic. He gripped Damien's hands in his own and soon realised that Damien was crying into Harry's hair in his desperation to do something useful. Harry knew that the most painful thing for him wasn't watching Harry like this but failing to be able to do anything useful.

The door slammed open again a few minutes later and Poppy Pomfrey was at his side trying to make Harry lie back on the bed. Other people rushed into the room but all Harry could see was a blurred and glittering top to his bed and Damien's chin where he was sitting against the headboard with Harry's head in his lap.

Harry drifted off about five minutes after Poppy Pomfrey had arrived and her spells had quickly lessened the pain and soothed his body and he was simply exhausted.

He wasn't sure how long he slept, all he knew was that he woken up to voices inside his room. He was too weak to move so his awakening wasn't obvious although he was in someone's arms and when they tightened slightly as he moved he knew that Ben, for that was who it was, knew he was awake though he didn't say anything.

Harry was lying on his right side, carefully propped up with pillows against his back and his left arm draped across Ben's green shirt that he'd worn out for his date. He had a blanket over him but somebody had removed his own shirt.

"What he needs right now is peace and quiet." He recognised Poppy Pomfrey's stern voice clearly reprimanding whoever had spoken loud enough to wake him.

"Lily and James have a right to be with their son, Poppy." That was Dumbledore and Harry felt Ben tense up at the words but Ben didn't argue knowing that Harry wanted peace.

"And we have a right to know what happened to him." His father's voice this time. "Is this a new stage to his illness?"

"His illness is already final stage when you compare it to any other illness. His body is weakening beyond the point where nutritional potions can help." Poppy told them rather sharply. "He was already in the final stages when I first gave him a check up during the Christmas holidays."

"So why did the illness cause such an effect?" His mother asked worriedly.

"Because you took his medication from him!" Damien's angry hiss made Harry flinch slightly and Ben instantly rubbed his back to soothe him. Ben definitely knew he was awake now.

"Now, Damien." Dumbledore tried to soothe. "There's no proof of that..."

"Actually Headmaster, there is plenty of proof." Poppy said in the same sharp tone. "Damien has it dead on. This attack isn't medically related to his illness at all. There are none of the same symptoms. This was heart failure caused by overuse of Aphet's potion. Just as I warned you would happen sooner or later."

"You assured us that he wouldn't be in danger of damage to his heart until at least April!" James gasped.

"I said that based on normal dosages!" Poppy almost shouted. "And I revised that several times when the brothers made me aware of the higher dosages he was taking. Ben has been keeping a highly detailed log of all of Harry's symptoms and what he takes for it."

"Then why didn't you make them cut down on the dosages?" James was clearly glaring at the woman.

"Harry was only taking it for the worst pain." Damien snapped angrily. "He's spent so much of the last month in pain and nobody listened to us. He knew he was taking too much so he took only what he needed to take to remain on his feet taking pain instead of the damage but he warned you this would happen and asked you, begged you, to get him his muggle medicine but we all knew you weren't even trying and look what you've done."

"Damien..." Ben tried to cut him off knowing that Harry could hear his brother's words.

"I will not calm down!" Damien shouted. "These three almost killed him because they haven't even been trying to help him. They chain him to the school and don't even check on him. Harry could have died weeks ago and I doubt they would have noticed except that we would have burned down the school to prove a point!"

"Damien! Calm down!" James ordered.

Harry shoot up in bed at the distinct sound of a fist connecting. He was petrified for a split second that James had struck his little brother but it was the other way around. Damien had broken his father's nose. "Get out." Ben hissed dangerously, his aura flickering around him and Harry. Harry shuddered and began feeling cold again. People shouldn't sit up so fast after having a round of heart failure.

"It's best that..." Dumbledore started.

Harry's magic flared up even as Ben's did and flames melded with blue light and flashed out around them, ignoring Poppy and Damien and slamming into Dumbledore, Lily and James. Lily and James, unprepared were sent flying into the wall rather painfully but Dumbledore weathered the attack in a bubble of his own magic.

"Headmaster, I insist that you leave and take his parents with you." Poppy rounded on the old man. "If you stress him any further you could kill him."

That seemed to be enough for Dumbledore, Lily and James who quickly left the rooms though Lily and James looked rather shaken. Harry went completely limp and Ben cradled him as Poppy rushed to his side with her wand out sending spells at him.

"Way to go with the right hook, bro." Harry laughed weakly, politely ignoring the fact that Damien was shaking in anger and crying at the same time. Ben wasn't in any better state but he was calming himself because it helped to calm Harry.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter." Poppy sighed. "The Headmaster informed your parents as soon as he heard the news and I was unable to head them off. I realised they would not aid the situation. I didn't, however, expect your brother here to by so physically violent."

"He had it coming." Damien grumbled.

"I'm also sorry to say that I can't allow you take any more doses of Aphet's potion." She sighed. "You will have to weather the attacks until I can get you your muggle medicine."

Harry frowned at her. "What did Damien mean by them not trying to help?"

"The Headmaster has several friends who are Governor's of the School and also at St. Mungo's where the medication would have been tested." She sighed. "Although St. Mungo's has cleared the medication for use, partly with a few favours I was owed, and the issue has gone before the Governors Albus has not attempted to speak to any of his friends in respect to getting it cleared. I'm sorry to say that if he had been trying you could have already had your medicine and this entire episode could have been avoided. As it is I'm going to have to move you to the Hospital Wing to monitor you more carefully until we get you your medicine and you'll be out of classes for the next week or so until you recover from this attack."

"If..." Harry sighed knowing the truth. His body was already too weak and this hadn't helped. "You know it's all backwards, right?"

"What is?" She asked.

"Nothing magical can help me even relieve the pain but the muggle doctors found something to help with the pain and symptoms." Harry explained. "What else could muggle medicine help with that the Wizarding World refuses to even consider through sheer ignorance?"

"You may be right." She nodded. "But my job isn't to answer that but to ensure that I keep you alive for as long as possible."

"Then get this ruddy thing off of me." Harry gasped out shaking his hand tiredly making the manacle rattle on his thin wrists.

"I don't see how that would help, Mr. Potter." She shook her head. "But even if I thought it would I do not have the ability to do it. Only the Headmaster can remove that."

"My body can heal itself and give me more time with my brothers but it can't do that because of the spells on this thing." Harry admitted to her. "This is rapidly hastening my death."

"I don't see..." She started.

"Why would he lie to you?" Damien asked harshly. "Can't you just listen to him? You're the only person here trying to listen to us. Don't stop now. Please, give us at least that chance."

"I will try to convince the Headmaster to remove it but we do need a way to track you in case of another attack." She pointed out.

Harry actually laughed and she frowned at him. Harry fell into Ben who laid back and cradled Harry to his chest while Damien explained why he was laughing. "We haven't left Harry alone for even a minute since the start of term."

"Get some sleep, Mr. Potter." Poppy told him. "We'll move you into the Hospital room this evening and I'll arrange with the Headmaster for either of your brothers to remain with you each night."

Harry buried his head into Ben's t-shirt and listened as she left the room. He could hear Dumbledore and his parents out on the stairs until the door shut. "How did your date go?" Harry asked sleepily.

"Ugh!" Ben groaned. "Terrible. All she wanted to know was what had happened to Cedric, that's all she was interested in. I was with Ron and Hermione in the Three Broomsticks when I felt it. We were getting Rita Skeeter to write an article in the Quibbler about everything that is happening. She's probably a bit confused by what happened to me seeing that Ron had to half carry me back to school."

"I'm sorry." Harry grumbled but didn't hear Ben telling him off for apologising because he was already drifting back off into sleep, hating himself once again for destroying Ben's life.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The next day**

Harry woke up and realised quickly that he was no longer in the Gryffindor common room and was now in the Hospital Wing, alone. He sat up tiredly feeling a little better than the night before but his chest still ached but it wasn't the normal ache, at least that wasn't the major problem. The door opened just as Harry was trying to reach for a glass of water on the side table. The sound of the door slamming open made him flinch and he knocked the glass off the table and it shattered on the stone flooring. He sat back with a sigh of irritation hating feeling weak.

"Don't worry about it, Harry." Ben's voice made him look up as his big brother approached with Damien behind him and to his surprised his two sisters holding Damien's hand. Harry grinned in spite of everything, happy just to see the two girls. Ben pulled out his wand and flicked it at the floor with a muttered incantation causing the water and the glass to vanish. Ben was particularly good at transfiguration. As soon as Damien let go of Acacia and Crisanta's hands they ran over and leapt onto the bed, hugging him at the same time.

Harry laughed as he hugged them back. "You know you're big brother, Damien, used to do this when he was a little boy." Harry told them with a smirk up at Damien.

"I'd do it now but 'Cacia and Crissy beat me to it." Damien laughed. "How are you feeling?"

"Benji said you were sick." Acacia looked up at Harry with big eyes.

"I'm better today, Princess." Harry told her and kissed her on the forehead gently. With that out of the way Harry settled down to spending his Sunday morning with his siblings, playing cards and laughing together. Pomfrey came through a few times but never said anything to them, letting them have their time together and Harry was happy that she did.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Two days later**

Harry walked into the Great Hall for breakfast on Tuesday having had Monday off of classes in order to recuperate after what had happened to his heart on Saturday afternoon. He was on a mild painkiller at regular intervals in the hopes that it would soothe any attack that he had but it wasn't a good idea to let it build up in his body so he could only take them for three days before letting his body flush them out for a day. They really were running out of options, just like they'd done when he was a young child. It was merely a shame that while they were fumbling around learning the same lessons all over again he was getting close to running out of time. Even if he felt his death was inevitable it didn't mean that he didn't want to postpone it for as long as possible so that he could spend every available moment with his siblings.

Ben and Damien leapt up when they saw him and Ben pulled him down onto the bench and leaned in. "You should have told me you were being released!" Ben hissed in concern.

"Why?" Harry asked. "It's not like you wouldn't be at breakfast."

"You could have collapsed on the way down or something." Ben argued.

"I would have got a portrait to get me help." Harry's logic stumped Ben for a moment before he recovered.

"You still should have told me. What's the point in me worrying if you don't let me follow you around like a big brother should?" Ben complained making Hermione laugh from across the table.

"What's the first lesson?" Harry asked to distract him.

Ben rolled his eyes. "Care of Magical Creatures."

"Cool, I could do with some fresh air." Harry grinned and made to stand up.

"You haven't eaten anything!" Ben complained as he too came to his feet.

"I had an apple in the Hospital Wing." Harry corrected. "Madam Pomfrey made me before she let me leave."

"Are you sure you should be out in the cold?" Damien asked as he got up as well. Ron and Hermione silently moved to follow them out into the entrance hall.

"I'll ask Hagrid to do something warm, how about that?" Harry asked his little brother.

"If it weren't for the fact that Ben is just as protective as I am I wouldn't let you go out there." Damien told him simply before hugging him and heading up the staircase for his first class of the day.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Later**

Care of Magical Creatures was a little on the boring side especially since Umbridge was lurking in the background distracting Hagrid on purpose so that he had even greater trouble concentrating on his class. As soon as Harry and Ben had arrived and Ben had asked if there was anything Hagrid could do to make the class warmer for Harry, Hagrid had beamed at being asked for help and Harry had spent the class wrapped up in a massive fur blanket with Fang lying at his side, though Fang's attention was probably more because Fang adored him.

Umbridge had almost gotten an opportunity to give Ben a detention when she'd said that a cold class like this was no place for a dying child. Ben had gotten so angry at her lack of respect for Harry's condition and was furious for many reasons, chief among them the fact that she blamed Hagrid for allowing Harry to be out in the cold. It had taken Harry ten minutes after the class to assure Hagrid that even if Hagrid had thought to tell Harry to return to the castle, Harry wouldn't have gone anywhere.

They were on their way out of the castle for some peace and quiet at lunch when they ran into a massive crowd of students gathering in the entrance hall. Ben pulled Harry into his front as a couple of Hufflepuffs rushed by to watch the spectacle. Ben swore at them as they almost knocked Harry over which only made Harry laugh.

In the middle of the entrance hall was Professor Trelawney surrounded in bags of rubbish. She was crying and wringing her hands as she faced a very smug looking Professor Umbridge. "What a bitch!" Ben hissed.

"We knew this was going to happen, Benji." Harry replied sadly. "She'll slowly find a reason to kick out every Professor that doesn't agree with her ways."

"And then she'll turn to the students." Ben grumbled. "If she so much as looks at you wrong I'll kill her."

"Don't be stupid, Ben." Harry nudged him even as he leaned back into him for support.

"I mean it, Harry. I won't let her hurt you." Ben promised. "It's bad enough I can't stop Dumbledore doing it. I won't let her do it too."

"This bracelet isn't your fault, Ben." Harry told him quietly but was cut off from proving it somehow when the crowd parted and Dumbledore appeared.

"Professor McGonagall?" Dumbledore requested even as the woman tried to comfort Trelawney. "If you could kindly escort Professor Trelawney back to her rooms?"

"Now see here, Headmaster, under Education Decree Number..." Umbridge started.

"You may dismiss any Professor." Dumbledore told her sharply. "That does not, however, permit you to evict them from the castle. That still remains with the Headmaster."

"We'll see." Umbridge hissed and shoved her way through the crowd trying vainly to ignore the jeers from most of the students. Before Ben could manoeuvre Harry back through the crowd something hard hit Harry in the side taking them both by surprise. Harry went tumbling across the ground, hitting his head on the hard stone floor.

"Malfoy, you little prick!" Ben shouted even as the crowd split apart seeing the anger almost rising off of Ben as he faced off with Malfoy. Harry pushed himself to his knees.

"What can I say?" Malfoy waved a hand dismissively. "He was in my way. Shouldn't be too long until that's no longer a problem."

Ben raised his wand but Malfoy was faster and his spell streaked across at Ben. Ben couldn't react fast enough but Harry was furious at the way that Malfoy had goaded Ben about Harry's imminent death and his magic struck out. It flickered around both Harry and appeared around Ben as if it was his own before it ebbed and struck out from Ben like a ball of flames, hitting Malfoy square in the chest and sending him flying back into this friends.

"Mr. Potter." A voice sneered and suddenly Ben and Harry realised that Umbridge had remained in the area to see what the commotion was about. Dumbledore stood with a frown on his face with Flitwick at his side. "Attacking a student? Tut tut." She shook her head at Ben like he was a little child that had done something stupid.

"Every student here heard what Malfoy said, Professor." Ben growled.

"And I heard no such thing." Umbridge smirked. "You attacked without provocation."

"If you'd been here when it happened you would have realised that it was me that did it, not Ben." Harry hissed as he tried to stand but ended up having to prop himself up on an arm as he fell back to his knees.

"A boy as weak as you are?" Umbridge sneered. "As honourable as I'm sure you think it is, Mr. Potter. You need not attempt to defend your rogue of a brother."

"I don't attempt to defend him. I _do_ defend him." Harry sneered as he rose to his feet, touching his head as he felt something trickling there to go with the pain. He pulled his hand away to find blood there.

"Let's hope he's not contagious." Malfoy mocked.

"Mr. Malfoy, please do not tease Mr. Potter." Umbridge said with a smile on her face.

"Of course, Professor." Malfoy bowed.

"Now I don't see any reason to continue this petty argument." Umbridge leered at Ben and Harry. "Perhaps in the future you will control your temper Mr. Potter." She told Ben directly.

"And perhaps next time I won't blunt the attack." Harry sneered at Umbridge. "What would you tell his father then? People will only take your crap for..."

"Mr. Potter." Dumbledore's voice cut in.

"Insulting a Professor, Mr. Potter?"

"You're no Prof..." Harry started but Dumbledore's hand rested on his shoulder.

"Mr. Potter is clearly in need of a trip to the Hospital Wing." Dumbledore told Umbridge. "Professor Flitwick will escort him and talk to him about his need for respect to a Professor. I see no reason to continue this in the middle of the hallway. Benjamin, go with your brother."

Dumbledore flinched and withdrew his hand when he felt it burn and Harry glared at him before turning towards the crowd, his shoulder was burning with his aura and it had singed Dumbledore quite easily. Ben was at his shoulder in a second, supporting him.

"One last thing, Mr. Potter. _Harry_." Umbridge sneered the last word. "We can't put up with such lack of respect. You'll serve detention with me every night for the rest of this week."

"Fuck off." Harry hissed under his breath and although half the students around him heard, she didn't. He ignored her as he walked off behind Flitwick with Ben's help and they were barely up the first flight of stairs when his vision began to blur after he'd hit his head on the floor. Ben caught him as he sagged and Harry blearily sat through Madam Pomfrey's care as she healed the bump on his head muttering about children.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The next evening**

Harry stumbled through the Gryffindor common room door at eleven at night holding a handkerchief over the back of his left hand cursing under his breath and didn't notice that both Ben and Damien had been waiting up for them until they both leapt up from the sofa. They'd clearly been doing homework and Harry took in that Ben had a couple of pieces of Harry's homework there too. Only Charms and Transfiguration since only those and Potions were of any interest to Harry. There was no point them reading through Harry's Potions work like they were with Charms and Transfiguration since Harry never got anything wrong in Potions.

Harry knew there was no point hiding his hand from view since the blood had already worked its way through the handkerchief and Ben grabbed it even before Harry could say hello to the two of them. He knew that Ben and Damien had known it was going to happen but not quite so bad.

"How did it get this bad?" Ben gritted his teeth as he gently took Harry's wrist and lifted the bloodied cloth away from the back of his hand, exposing the leaking slits on the back of his wrist. Shaky writing, Harry's handwriting. The effect of Umbridge's blood-quill.

"It was only twenty lines." Harry told him. "It stopped healing after the fifteenth." He winced as he admitted that.

"Why did it stop healing so soon?" Damien frowned. "Yours still heals, right Ben."

"Blood-quills use the person's strength to heal the wound, thus it tires you out." Harry sighed.

"This is going to keep bleeding." Damien told them inspecting the wound. "It's too deep."

"We'll bandage it." Harry announced, wanting to get his head down and sleep. He was exhausted. "If it's still bleeding tomorrow I'll call Fawkes. He should be able to heal it."

"Why not go to Madam Pomfrey?" Damien asked.

Harry just shrugged. "You don't think I spend enough time there already, little brother?" He asked before ruffling Damien's hair with his right hand. Damien hugged him and when Harry made to start towards the stairs Damien put an arm around his waist, helping him walk without needing to be asked.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The next morning**

Harry walked along slowly beside his twin brother, tentatively touching the back of his bandage. He had a free period first thing and Ben was taking him up to the Headmaster's office to ask Fawkes to heal the cuts or else that night he'd only be imprinting it deeper and deeper into the back of his hand. Ben gave the Gargoyle the password and they slowly walked up yet another flight of stairs and knocked on the Headmaster's door getting permission to enter quickly.

The Headmaster was sitting behind his desk rubbing at his nose but he smiled when he saw Ben and then frowned at the sight of Harry's bandage. "My boys, what brings you up here?"

"A lot of stairs brought us up here." Harry grumbled sarcastically letting Ben guide him down into one of the chairs. Fawkes trilled mournfully and glided across the office and settled down on Harry's lap. Harry quickly started to stroke him with his bandaged hand.

"You don't seem so angry today, Harry." Dumbledore pointed out.

"My anger at you is still exactly the same unless you want to remove this little trinket." Harry sneered. "I'm exhausted."

"He's too tired to heal from the blood-quill that you let Umbridge use." Ben almost growled at Dumbledore.

"I have petitioned to the governors against the use of that Quill, boys." Dumbledore sighed. "Unfortunately it is deemed a temporary punishment and it will be time before I can convince them to see my side of it. Unfortunately she is careful not to use it against the family members of the governors or ministry officials."

"That doesn't help Harry." Ben narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore. "He's got detentions all week with her and just one night and twenty lines has left his hand bleeding all night."

"Let me have a look." Dumbledore offered reaching out a hand. Harry didn't offer his hand in return but merely unwrapped the bandage and showed him the writing etched on the back. "How many lines did you do before it stopped healing, Harry?"

"Fifteen." Harry grunted. "I don't have the energy to heal it anymore." Harry leaned sideways in his chair. "I'm tired, Headmaster. I can barely find the energy to be angry at you anymore."

"I appreciate that, Harry." Dumbledore sighed. "But there is little I can do. There is a potion that can be brewed that may boost your body enough to heal but you have to understand that the blood-quill was designed by Salazar Slytherin especially to be used as punishment."

"I know all of that." Harry said. "Nick told me. I can brew the cure from memory but I don't think the school has the necessary ingredients."

"Then why come to me?" Dumbledore asked.

"I didn't." Harry turned to Fawkes. "I came to Fawkes."

Fawkes trilled and lowered his head to eye the cuts before he tilted his head and let a single drop fall against his skin. Harry gasped as a peculiar sensation ran all the way through his body healing the cuts on the back of his hand and soothing the pain in his chest. He felt energy filling him and almost felt as if he'd spent time as Eridanus. He could tell though that it was already beginning to wear off by the time Fawkes pulled his head back. Fawkes couldn't heal him long term but he'd already known that.

"What will you do tomorrow?" Dumbledore asked.

"Take this off of me and I can leave." Harry offered.

"I can't do that, Harry." Dumbledore. "For you own safety we must know where you at all times. What would happen if you were to collapse unexpectedly."

"I managed for quite some time." Harry told him with a glare inspired by his temporary strength. "I'm not going to beg you, Dumbledore. I want you to take this off or you're going to be directly responsible for my death."

"How so, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Can't you just trust him?" Ben snapped.

"There is someone I can go to who can help me." Harry lied.

"How does he do this?" Dumbledore asked intrigued.

"I can't tell you that. I promised him I wouldn't." Harry lied again.

"A promise that may be the death of you, Harry." Dumbledore pointed out.

"If you keep me restrained against my will it will be you that kills me, Dumbledore." Harry pointed out. "Something I'll be sure to make sure the world knows about before I die."

Harry stroked Fawkes putting his head down as Fawkes turned to look at him. Fawkes rubbed his cheek against Harry's and Harry couldn't help but let his head be buried against Fawkes' feathers. Fawkes turned to look at Dumbledore who frowned as he looked back and something told Harry that Fawkes and Dumbledore were speaking together telepathically.

"I'm sorry, my boy." Dumbledore shook his head. "But even if I wished to remove it, I am under direct orders from the Minister of Magic to leave it on. He does not think that a child who has carelessly run away once before at his own risk can be trusted to stay at Hogwarts."

"He didn't run away for that!" Ben leapt to his feet, leaning over the desk at Dumbledore. "He ran away to spare me the pain of watching him die! And if you have your way I'll still have to witness it and so will Damy, Cacia and Crissy and no matter what you say we'll hate you and our parents for it for the rest of our lives. If you can live with killing Harry then I hope you can live with us hating you until _you_ die."

"Ben." Harry whispered and Ben looked at him. Harry shook his head. Fawkes glided off of his lap so that Harry could stand up.

"Dumbledore." Ben warned. "While Harry wears that bracelet, or any form of replacement, I won't help you with this war. I won't learn Occlumency from Snape or magic from any of you. If Harry dies than I leave Hogwarts as soon as I'm seventeen and you'll never see me again and there's nothing you can do to stop that. If Harry isn't there to fight by my side then you'll fight Voldemort on your own."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	14. Embrace

Birth of a Phoenix

Chapter 14; Embrace

**The next morning**

Benjamin had been overly affectionate since the meeting with Dumbledore. They went through classes but Harry had trouble staying awake and although a few of his lecturers asked him to pay attention it was clear they realised he wasn't doing it on purpose. Granted they didn't know that he was more exhausted because of the Blood Quill but they knew he was extremely ill and getting worse and they knew that he'd had what amounted to heart failure over the weekend so they gave up on hassling him without too much trouble.

Harry barely made it up to the dormitory after classes before he was asleep and then Ben was waking him up looking like he really didn't want to, just to make Harry get up and go to his detention knowing that if he didn't it would only cause more trouble for him. When Harry had stumbled back into the common room he'd almost collapsed and Damien and Ben had carried him up to Ben's bed.

Harry woke the next morning with Ben spooning behind him and Harry's loosely bandaged hand clutched in his own hand. Harry head the other boys getting up but was simply too exhausted, even after a night's sleep, to want to get out of the warmth of Ben's bed and out of the loving arms of his twin. This was how he wanted to die, wrapped up in Ben's arms. Harry shook himself knowing that he couldn't give up just like that. He sat up and pulled open the curtains from Ben's bed. Ron was getting changed and his eyebrows shot up at the sight of Harry. Not because Harry wasn't in his own bed since the boys had given up being bothered by that but presumably at the state Harry was in.

Ben grumbled and sat up slowly. "It's ten minutes till breakfast." Ron told them. "You alright?" He asked Harry pointing at his hand.

"How many did you manage this time before it stopped healing?" Ben asked.

"Ten." Harry grumbled pulling the bandage away from around his hand and wincing as the writing started to bleed again. He was having to write the same lines as Ben, 'I must not tell lies', and it meant nothing to him anymore. He'd never lied about his condition but that was what Umbridge wanted everyone to think. That he was making his condition out to be worse than it really was.

"You need help?" Ron winced as he offered and Ben quickly stood up.

"I can handle it, Ron!" Ben half snapped.

"Ben." Harry caught his hand before Ben could move away from him. "He was just checking. Thanks Ron but I'll be alright."

Ron nodded stiffly and retreated. Ben turned to Harry. "I don't want people thinking you need helping all the time."

"He's your best friend, Benji." Harry smiled. "He's allowed to worry."

Harry managed to make it through a shower on his own and was dressed but Ben hung around for him so they were almost late for their first lesson of the day by the time they got there. Harry had a bandage around his hand again but it had already soaked through with blood. Hermione had demanded to have a look and complained about it.

"Next time, Harry. You let me take the blame." Ben told him simply as they sat down for class. "At least I'll heal from it."

Harry didn't respond because he knew Ben was going to be stubborn about it.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Friday night**

On Wednesday and Thursday night Harry returned to Umbridge's room to undergo just twenty lines. On Wednesday he manage six lines before he stopped healing and on Thursday half that. Fawkes appeared during lunch every day to heal the damage which always worked but Harry missed breakfast everyday because of the time it took to get ready in the morning and he and Ben were late to half their classes because they didn't have enough time to get from one side of the castle to the other at the speed that Harry could move. Friday just passed as a blur for Harry and soon he was sitting with two other students writing lines except this time after the first line it didn't heal at all and by the end of it Harry couldn't move his fingers anymore.

He knew he'd cut down through the tendons but hopefully Fawkes would manage to heal it. Umbridge let him go as soon as his lines were done and he made his way out of the room and towards the Gryffindor common room wanting nothing more than to just sleep curled up between Ben and Damien for the entire weekend.

He was walking up the last set of stairs to the seventh floor when his eyes greyed out and he found himself blinking vainly against fluttering white lights and then all he felt was pain in his shoulder and then his head as he tumbled back down the stairs to the sixth floor.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

He woke blearily as somebody cradled his head and he groaned in pain. Ben was there, holding his head as somebody wrapped something around his hand. He couldn't hear words but Ben shouted something and not more than a few minutes of staring up at his big brother he felt himself being lifted by magic. He blacked out again and when he woke again he was lying in the hospital wing with Damien staring at him from the side of the bed.

Harry opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out and then pain hit him again and he knew what had awoken him. He was having one of his minor episodes. He reached out for Damien tiredly but his hand, wrapped in a bandage, fell to the edge of the bed as he felt the blood drain from his face. Damien leapt to his feet and grabbed his hand gently.

"Madam Pomfrey!" Damien cried out and hands pulled him onto his bed and Ben was hovering over him in panic.

"Harry?" Ben cried. Harry arched up as pain flooded his chest and Ben flinched and pressed a hand into his sternum. "He's having an episode."

Pomfrey appeared with a vial and poured it down his throat but it did absolutely nothing and Harry's mouth opened in a silent scream. He clutched at Ben but Ben's pain was just as bad and he wasn't dealing with it well. A figure appeared and grabbed Ben before he fell to his knees. His father. The bed lurched as Damien jumped up next to Harry and pulled him to his chest, holding him. Harry cried against the pain and trembled as it slowly faded.

"It's..." Ben gasped pulling himself up with the help of their father and the bed so he could hold his twin. "It's never been that strong before. Not a minor one."

"He's too weak." Pomfrey shook her head. "He's got major blood loss from the week of detentions, he's physically exhausted and malnourished."

"What can you do for him?" Dumbledore's voice asked.

"Do for him!?" Pomfrey almost cried. "Do for him? Headmaster Dumbledore I have told you what he needs. Leave right now and get it for him or you can have my resignation!"

Harry opened his eyes and found himself looking at Damien whose eyes were red and filled with tears. "Poppy, that's a little extreme don't you think?"

"Albus, I took an oath to preserve life. You are drastically decreasing that boy's quality of life. I have advised you and I have pleaded with you. I can only determine that you are negligent and I will take this up with the Education Board immediately." Poppy declared.

"I'll make a few calls and call in some favours." Dumbledore sighed. "I don't think it will help to give in to his demands for muggle drugs but if it will calm you down."

"Bastard." Ben hissed from behind Harry.

"Ben..." His father's voice warned him.

"Shut up." Ben told his father bluntly.

"Go on then, Albus." Pomfrey demanded. "Go get his medication cleared so I can get it from St. Mungos. If you're not back by this evening I'm calling them myself and you'll have my resignation."

Harry heard Dumbledore retreat from the room and Harry dropped his head onto his little brother's chest as he felt Ben's hands rubbing his back. "I want to leave." Harry whispered. "I want out of here."

"We can't care for you at home, Harry." His father told him.

"At this point, James, it's not a matter of caring for him." Pomfrey sighed and Harry looked up again to see not only his father and Madam Pomfrey but his mother too.

"What do you mean?" His mother asked.

"I'm going to die." Harry muttered.

"Honey..." His mother sighed and Harry flinched.

"No..." Harry cried. "Soon."

"Don't talk like that!" Ben half snapped.

"Mr. Potter?" Pomfrey asked Harry. "Do you want your brothers here for this conversation?"

Harry nodded. "Am I right?"

"You're body has been taxed this week beyond anything it can handle." Pomfrey looked extremely upset. "First the damage from the Aphet's potion hasn't been allowed to heal and then that damned Blood Quill. Your body is just not going to ever recover. I'm so sorry."

Harry didn't respond and hid his face in Damien's chest. "How long?" Ben asked in a scratchy whisper.

"I predict that his body will give out before the end of the month." Pomfrey told them gently. "Perhaps a week or a little more if the Headmaster brings back his medication. I'm sorry, boys."

"Is there nothing to be done?" His mother cried freely and Harry stared at the lost expression on her face. Her worst nightmare was coming true in front of her eyes and there was nothing any of them could do.

"Make him comfortable." Pomfrey sighed. "I'm taking him out of classes. I'd suggest that you take him home."

"Is that what you want, Harry?" His father asked.

"I want..." Harry started to whisper.

"With us too." Ben declared as he trembled but he was trying to be strong. "We'll stay with you till the end."

"As long as Damy and Benji are there too." Harry nodded. "I want to see Cacia and Crissy again."

"Can you take off that bracelet?" Damien asked.

"I'll talk to the headmaster." Pomfrey told them.

"It'll be off by the end of the day." James declared. "We're your parents."

"You should have had them take it off when we..." Damien started to argue.

"Damy." Harry called to him. "Not now. Please." He begged.

Damien sagged as everything drained out of him and he turned into Harry and buried his head, hiding it from the world as all of the energy fell away from him. Harry rubbed his back soothingly with what strength he had left to him.

"Ben, take Damien and pack all of your things." James sounded petrified but Harry didn't look at him. "You're coming home tonight. We're pulling you all out of school."

Damien hugged Harry tightly, not wanting to go, but Ben stood up and circled around the bed and gently pried Damien away and held him up as he leaned down to kiss Harry on the side of the head. Harry nodded to him and Ben and Damien walked out of the room to tell their friends what was happening.

"My shoulder hurts." Harry told Pomfrey.

"You blacked out at the top of the stairs and fell down twenty steps." Pomfrey told him gently. "The portraits called me and your brothers were there before me. I've healed the dislocation but your body needs to heal the last part."

"Which it won't." Harry sighed and laid out on his back. His father surprised him by moving closer and pulling the blanket up to just under his neck and tucking him in. Harry stared at him as his mother moved to stand next to him. "What about my hand? I can't move my fingers."

Pomfrey rubbed at her nose. "That Quill tore right down into your tendons but it still counts as the punishment so I can't heal it without the potion which won't be done until Monday. Professor Snape is brewing it now."

"Fawkes." Harry told her but with a trill a light blossomed above the bed and Fawkes was gliding down to land beside Harry on the bed. Harry tried to laugh but he just didn't have the energy. "Hey, boy." Harry greeted. "Can you heal it? It'll be the last time. Promise."

His mother sobbed at that knowing the double meaning there. His father wrapped an arm around her and Harry just couldn't find a reason to make them more miserable by rejecting them right now.

Fawkes nodded and Harry wished for a moment that he could hear Fawkes like he could as Eridanus. Harry tried to get the bandage off but he just didn't have the energy to do it. Before Pomfrey could move though his mother was holding his hand on hers and carefully unwinding the bloody bandage. She controlled her crying as she saw the damage and Harry saw the fury in his father's eyes. Fawkes leaned over and a single tear fell into the wound. Harry felt temporary relief and energy flood him as his hand healed over without a scar and his fingers flexed on instinct alone.

Fawkes watched him before flapping up into the air and vanishing. Harry realised his hand was still in his mother's grip and she seemed to realise it too and withdrew her touch. Harry tilted his head towards his parents weakly as his eyes threatened to shut. He moved his hand towards them and his mother saw the request and grabbed his hand in her own. She pulled up a chair and sat holding his hand to her face. She kissed the back of his hand and Harry gave her a small sad smile before slipping into much needed rest.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Gryffindor common room**

"What's happening?" Hermione asked loudly as Damien and Ben emerged into the room in the hour after breakfast when the room was filled with students.

"We're leaving." Ben announced, loud enough for everyone to hear. He was furious with everything right now and only Damien under his arm was keeping him from screaming out at the world.

"Is he alright?" Ron asked.

Ben winced and Damien turned and hid his face. There were gasps around the room as Damien fell apart. Ben looked at his friends and shook his head. "He's awake but it's too much." Ben told them quietly yet his words reached every corner of the room. "He's been getting weaker but the detentions were too much, he just didn't have the energy."

"How long?" Hermione gasped, wincing at her own question.

"A week." Ben's tears overflowed and he found himself with Hermione hugging him but he couldn't find it in himself to let go of his little brother. "Maybe a little more."

"I'm so sorry, Ben. Damien." Hermione told them as she pulled back. They had an audience now but everyone was silent and upset looking. Harry had always been nice and they'd all seen his slow decline.

"I don't know if we'll come back, Hermione. I'm sorry." Ben told her. "Mum and Dad just want us all home. And..."

"And..." Hermione pressed gently.

"This place killed him, Hermione." Ben gasped out. He didn't care that he was crying in front of thirty people. "This place, Dumbledore, Umbridge. All of them did this. He had time and they took that away from him. From us."

"Ben..." Damien pulled his head back. He looked physically sick. "Please stop. Not now."

Ben hugged him tighter. "Sorry." Ben looked around. Hermione and Ron were the closest and Fred, George and Ginny were standing behind them looking upset, especially the twins who even though they'd tried had failed to find a way to remove the tracking bracelet that had essentially been Harry's noose. But it was Ben that had decided to respect Harry wishes and not tell Dumbledore about Eridanus.

"Ryan, Andy?" Ben asked talking to Damien's roommates. "Can you go with Damien and help him pack up his trunk.

"Of course." Andy nodded and moved forwards. Damien reluctantly followed them up to their dorm.

"You're really leaving?" Neville asked.

"I have to be with Harry right now." Ben told Neville gently knowing it wasn't his fault. "He shouldn't have to..."

"It's alright." Hermione spoke up. "We understand."

Ben packed as quickly as he could just wanting to get back to Harry and away from this place and it wasn't long before his trunk was shrunken down and in his pocket along with Harry's. He entered the common room to find most of the students gone and he expected that soon most of the school would know what was happening. "Hermione?" Ben asked eyeing Damien sitting between his best friends with his trunk ready. He flicked his wand almost carelessly and Damien's trunk shrunk itself and flew up towards Ben who caught it and pocketed it. "Could you go up at some point and tell Thor and Hedwig that we're heading home? I want to just get back to Harry."

"Of course." Hermione nodded.

"We'll go now." Fred offered from behind them.

"We're sorry." George told Ben quietly. Ben looked down at his feet but didn't say anything in return. He straightened up and walked over to Damien and got him up. He didn't want to break down again. He had to be strong for Damien and Harry. Not to mention Acacia and Crisanta. At least until Harry died and then Ben didn't imagine he'd ever be consolable let alone any help to his brothers and sisters.

Ben and Damien headed through the school back to the hospital wing and they almost got there when a figure walked out of the dungeon passageway and into the entrance hall. Draco Malfoy. "Look what we have here!" Draco laughed and the four Slytherins with him laughed as well.

"Not today, Malfoy." Ben warned even though a violent desire spread up through him. This was the person who had caused Harry to go into detention. He knew that Harry hadn't had long after what the Aphet's Potion had done to him but Malfoy had simply cut off the time he had left.

"So it's true then, the little Potter twin is finally out of our hair?" Malfoy laughed. "Finally, at least the air around here will clear up."

Ben snarled angrily and reached for his wand. Damien was just as fast and both had their wands pointed at Malfoy who had clearly been aiming for this since his wand was quick to follow along with the other Slytherins. But they weren't alone. Four students were standing by the main entrance and a few more up on the stairs. More would be quickly drawn in.

"Not. Today. Malfoy!" Ben snapped.

Malfoy laughed. "Well at least something happened this year to make it worth coming to this place."

Damien snapped and the curse that flew from his wand seared the air. It span as it flew and clanged off of a weak shield that Malfoy only just managed to get up in time. Ben stepped in front of Damien as the other Slytherins retaliated and his core magic sprung up, absorbing all of their attacks. He'd barely had to think about it. A burst sprung out from him, shattering Malfoy's shield and sending all five of them, plus a dozen spectators, flying.

"Potter!" Umbridge's voice screeched through the area. "That is the last..."

"Fuck you!" Ben shouted at her.

"Potter!" She gasped. "Learn respect..."

"I don't have you respect you, you little toad! You killed him!" Ben cried. "You killed him!"

"Ben, let's just get out of here!" Damien pleaded. Ben was shaking violently but he let Damien pull him away into the corridor leading to the hospital wing to the sound of Umbridge shouting threats after them. Ben made it there but just collapsed to the floor. Damien hugged him before looking around. He stared at where his mother was sitting next to Harry's bed. She was holding his brother's hand in his sleep.

His father rushed over and helped Damien lift his brother up into the chair next to Harry's bed. "What happened?" Pomfrey asked, emerging from her office and seeing Ben and Damien.

"Malfoy." Damien grunted before sitting on the end of Harry's bed. "Mum? That's not a good idea." He pointed at her hand.

"Harry took her hand." His father explained. "Just before he fell asleep."

Ben wiped his eyes and looked at his twin with a fond look. "Harry hates being angry at you two." Ben told them before shifted his chair and crossing his arms on the edge of the bed. "He's too tired for it now."

"From now on it's just about the seven of us." His father told them. "Nothing else matters."

Pomfrey moved to Ben's side and put three small plastic dispensers next to him. "The board doesn't approve but since you're leaving I went around them. The Headmaster has been unsuccessful but he did try in the end."

"Dumbledore killed Harry." Ben whispered. "Him and Umbridge. They beat him down until..."

Damien jumped up and pushed Ben up from the bed and knelt at his feet and hugged him. He made hushing noises as he soothed his older brother. "It's too late to worry over that, Benji." Damien told him quietly even if the others could hear him. "And Harry won't want to remember it all when he's got so little time left."

"Yeah." Ben nodded as Damien pulled back.

"So no more anger and stuff, okay?" Damien asked pleadingly. "It's painful to watch you like this."

Ben nodded and hung his head and Damien hugged him again. "I don't want him to go, Damy." Ben sobbed and the three adults felt their hearts tear at the sound. "I need him."

"I know." Damien whispered.

"I'll always be here." Harry's voice cracked where he whispered from the bed. Damien backed up quickly as Ben shot up and leaned over his twin. Harry reached up with his left hand first but felt resistance and looked down and stared at his mother. Obviously his memory caught up though and he dropped his hand back onto the bed and lifted his right hand instead. He pressed his palm down over Ben's heart. "In here, okay?"

Ben cried and his tears hit Harry's neck. "Okay." Ben shifted onto the edge of the bed and lied down against Harry's right hand side and hugged him.

"Mum, Dad, when can we leave?" Damien asked.

"Now." His father agreed.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Two hours later**

Harry clung to Ben as they twisted through the portkey that their mother had programmed for them while the rest of the family went by Floo. Harry was in no condition to travel by any magical transportation but a portkey was a far cry less traumatic than Floo. They slammed to the ground but Ben kept them both vertical even as Harry slumped, putting all of his weight on his older brother.

"Benji!" Acacia shouted.

"Harry!" Crisanta shouted at exactly the same moment. There was a chuckle in the background and Ben gently moved Harry so that he could hold onto his older twin and let Crisanta hug him around the waist. Acacia hugged Ben before letting go so that Ben could help Harry to lie down. Acacia jumped up to sit against his left side and Crisanta leapt up to sit on his right, both jostling him.

Ben ducked down to crouch in front of Harry and grabbed the girls' hands in his own. "Now listen, girls." Ben warned. "You have to be extra careful around Harry. No jumping on him or running at him or anything like that okay?"

"Can we still hug him?" Crisanta asked.

"Of course you can." Harry announced and put his arms around them. They cuddled into him.

"Are you getting sicker?" Acacia asked.

"Yeah, Princess." Harry told her looking away to blink back tears. They were little children, they were due to go to Hogwarts in six months time but they were his little sisters and telling them that he was about to die was just too difficult for him. He choked before forcing himself to look down. He dropped his head onto Crisanta's hair and hugged them both tighter just as Damien burst out of the Floo into the living room. "We've come home for a while so that I can see you."

His mother and then father burst from the fire place and smiled at the scene. Damien was watching too with tears in his eyes. Acacia hugged him tighter and Harry leaned over to rest his head on her hair instead. "Are you going to leave again?" Acacia asked him.

"Can't you stay with us this time? We'll be good, we promise." Crisanta told him.

"Oh god." Harry cried straightened up and looking away from them. He couldn't do it. He couldn't lie to them but he couldn't tell them he was about to die and leave them all. He just couldn't be responsible for doing that to them. "Benji, I can't." He whispered staring at his brother and then around at the others. Remus was there, standing at the back of the room. He'd clearly been childminding while their parents were at the school.

"Girls, go wash up." Remus announced, coming to his rescue. He moved over and the girls jumped up and tugged Remus out of the room. Harry slumped into the chair and Ben sat down. Harry lied down and put his head in Ben's lap and turned away from the room and cried into Ben's stomach.

"I can't tell them." Harry sobbed. He felt teenage hands on his back and knew Damien was there rubbing his back.

"I'll talk to them tonight." Their mother told him. "I understand, Harry. The thought of telling them..."

Harry nodded and clung to his older twin brother desperately. "Can you give us a minute?" Ben asked his parents who nodded and silently left the room. Harry felt hands in his hair and he turned onto his back to look up at them. "Can you change?" Ben asked him and there was desperate hope there that this was all avoidable.

"I tried as soon as Dumbledore took off the tracing bracelet." Harry whispered sadly. He'd almost lost it right then and there when he'd tried and failed. "I don't have enough strength to change into Eri anymore. My body's too weak to do it. A normal form maybe but not a magical one. I'm so sorry, Benji. Damy."

"No." Damien was hugging him tightly. "You never have to be sorry. You came back. You gave us the best gift any of us could ever wish for in our lives."

When Damien sat back up again Harry reached up and put his left hand on his neck. "I'm glad I got to see you again, Damy." Harry told him. "Even just for this long." Damien just cried. "I got to see you all grown up." Harry lost it and tears started again as he clung to Damien's neck. He looked up at Ben who had his head back on the back of the sofa to hide his face. Harry reached up and dragged his head down to look at him again. "I don't regret it, Benji." Harry told him. "I always knew you were there but to get to see you again meant everything to me. It gave me purpose in life. But I meant it, for both of you, I might leave but I'll never be gone. I'll watch over you from wherever I end up and I'll always be in your hearts and dreams. Okay?"

Ben looked like he was about to break down. He nodded and reverently stroked Harry's hair. "I'm glad you came back, Harry." Ben told him. "You made all of this bearable and just knowing you're going to watch over me means I'll be able to face this. To protect Damy, Crissy and Cacia. I promise, I'll look after them all for you."

"And I'll look after Ben for you." Damien put his head on Harry's chest. "We'll have each other, even if we have to lose you. We'll help each other through this."

Ben lost it then, he slumped over sideways and curled up on the sofa as Harry slid off of his lap. Harry buried himself in Ben's front as Damien sat at the end with both their heads in his lap. Ben was inconsolable, he cried and sobbed, muttering about not wanting Harry to die and not wanting to feel empty inside without him. Damien and Harry held strong for Ben because they knew that he needed to get this out of his system.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The next day**

Between their parents, Remus and the newly arrived Sirius they managed to distract Acacia and Crisanta for the rest of the day so that Ben, Damien and Harry could get settled in up in their rooms without their little sisters bouncing around. Their father had brought up their dinner and some soup for Harry to eat because they'd explained that Harry just couldn't keep anything down other than that anymore.

The three slept in Ben's bed, unable to be away from one another and Harry really didn't mind after being at Hogwarts for so long. Harry, although still exhausted was the first to wake up but only because their mother walked into the room that they hadn't bothered to unlock. Ben and Damien were too tired to be woken up and she was being extra quiet as she put breakfast down next to the bed, clearly under a spell. She looked over at the three and saw Harry watching her in the light from the rising sun coming through the large open doors.

"I'm surprised you're awake." She told him softly. "How do you feel?"

Harry just shook his head, not really wanting to tell her that he felt as bad as he had yesterday. "Did you talk to Cacia and Crissy?" He asked softly.

"Yes." She looked miserable at that. "They understand what is happening."

"Are they awake?" Harry asked her.

"They always are at this time in the morning. They want to see you." She told him. "I'm not sure..."

"I don't want to lose out on time with them. Please?" Harry asked, not wanting to butt heads with his parents any longer.

"I'll send them in now then?" She asked. "They know to be careful."

Harry nodded with a smile and his mother made to lean over, clearly planning on kissing his forehead like she would with Ben and Damien and pulled back when she thought better of it. Harry choked but pulled his hand out from under Ben to reach for her. She choked when he gave her permission and she leaned down and kissed him gently on the forehead. When she left Harry looked to Ben to see him staring at Harry with wonder in his eyes. "I just can't cause them any pain right now." Harry told him softly.

"I know, little brother." Ben told him. "I can't be angry at them either right now. It's just not worth it."

"Cacia and Crissy are about to come up." Harry told him. "Mum told them last night."

"Better wake Damien then." Ben told him.

"Damien's awake." Damien mumbled before looping his arm around Harry and snuggling into his back. Just then the door burst open and their little sisters slipped into the room, suddenly realising they had to be quiet.

"Can we get up on the bed?" Crisanta asked worriedly. Harry winced at her seeming need to check.

"Come on up, Princesses." Harry told them without getting up. Damien and bed moved away from Harry slightly and let the two ten year olds find their way under the covers on either side of Harry.

"Mum said you were going to..." Acacia muttered before hugging Harry around the neck. "We don't want you to go." She cried. Harry felt her tears and his own escaped before he could stop them. He pulled Crisanta into a hug too.

"I'm sorry, my Princesses." Harry told them gently. "But I've been ill for a very long time now. I'm just glad that I got to meet you when you're all grown up because I know now how beautiful and strong you both are. You can help Damien and Benjamin look after each other for me. Will you do that for me when I'm gone? Look out for each other. The four of you?"

With his last words he extended his request to Damien and Ben as well and the two brothers leant up so they could see Harry. "We promise." The two girls announced in unison. "We're glad we got to see you too, big brother." Harry hugged them tighter. "You're just like Benji told us."

"I love you all so much." Harry whispered.

"Love you too." Both girls announced and moved back and kissed his cheeks. Harry kissed them both on the forehead in turn.

"Have you girls had breakfast?" Ben asked gathering Acacia up and sitting her in his lap. Damien got up and walked around to the breakfast tray. They shook their heads.

"There's enough here for all of us." Damien announced before picking up the tray. Harry struggled to do it but he managed to sit up and Crisanta helped him move pillows to make himself comfortable. Damien put the tray across Harry's lap and put the bowl of soup and a spoon in front of Harry with a grin. Harry didn't feel hungry but with his sisters there he knew he had to eat. More for them than himself.

"Are you going to stay in bed?" Crisanta asked as she ate pancakes with the others.

"I'll get up while I can, Crissy." Harry told her. "But I'll probably be in bed most of the time but you can come see me any time of the day or night. I promise. We won't lock the door at all."

Harry glanced at Ben. They'd never talked about it but was Ben going to want Harry to die in his bed. It was a horribly morbid thought but Harry had to think about things now that he had such a short deadline. For that matter he needed to talk to his parents about funerals and what he wanted.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**A few days later**

Harry had tried to shower the next morning on his own but he'd admitted defeat and let Ben hold him up in the shower. It should have been embarrassing but Ben had to be allowed to help him or Ben would go insane and Harry didn't want to spend his last days lounging around in bed stinking and growing bored. He had spent the day before sitting out on the balcony with his siblings and knew there were a lot of visitors to the manor about him but his parents didn't let anyone anywhere near the five siblings. That day though Harry wanted to leave the room and Ben and Damien took him down to the living room. Either Ben, Damien, Acacia or Crisanta were always holding him at all times but Harry never complained and he liked the contact. He'd even let his mother and father hug him and even let Remus talk to him as he was sitting with Damien. Talking all about Damien mostly since they shared Remus as a godfather.

Remus and his parents, and to a lesser extent Sirius, knew better than to ever ask for Harry's forgiveness but Harry desperately didn't want the family to be torn apart by his death. If Ben, Damien and the girls were to survive intact through this war then they'd need their parents. Harry did make all four adults promise to treat Ben and Damien like adults citing that they were soon going to live through the worst thing they'd ever experience in their lives and if they could handle that then they could handle everything the world could throw at them. The four had cried but promised Harry without pause.

His approaching death was always on the forefront of everyone's minds and Harry was constantly the centre of attention even if people made a conscious effort not to swamp him. Ben and Damien were always lingering with him and the girls always wanted to be doing stuff with him. It was never more obvious though when the paper arrived three days after he'd arrived home. The Monday edition had already told the Wizarding World of Harry's sudden decline in health while at school and that James and Lily Potter had pulled all three of their children out of school as well as taken indefinite leave of absence from their jobs.

The Tuesday morning edition though told a greater, and darker story. It was written by Rita Skeeter and just like the Quibbler article that had told of Voldemort's return and everything that Ben had gone though this article in the Daily Prophet had told the shocking truth, with quotes from students and mentions of evidence. It was the entire story of Harry's return to school, the tracking bracelet from the ministry, Umbridge's reign over the other teachers and her use of the Blood Quill. It told of Harry's rapid decline in health and there were even quotes from teachers and students about callous remarks from Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad. It talked of the way that the students, including Harry in his greatest trials, had been cut off from his own parents by Umbridge's decrees.

It described in detail how the slow response from the School Governors had weakened Harry's heart when a tried and tested pain relief had been taken away just because it was Muggle technology and how not a few days after his heart had failed he had been assigned detentions where his already weakened body had been taxed further by magic. There were witnesses that told that Umbridge had known that Harry's body couldn't handle the punishment. At the end of the article it was obvious to the world that the Potter family had withdrawn from the world to be there for Harry as his body failed him and his lifetime illness took him away from them. It didn't outright blame anyone but finished by saying that they refused to go into the contributing factors or throw accusations and demands for recrimination while a boy suffered for the Wizarding World's inability to react to what their next generation were trying to tell them.

The article gave the Potter family it's greatest sympathies before pleading with the Wizarding World to leave them in peace to spend their time with their son and brother. The request to leave them in peace while they mourned afterwards was tactfully left out. His mother had cried for hours after reading it but Harry thought it was nice. In a way his death would stand a chance to clearing Umbridge out of Hogwarts. It would give Dumbledore the leverage over the Ministry to have her kicked out if not criminally charged for negligence.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Saturday**

Harry knew his body was degrading rapidly. Every hour felt like a trial to him and he knew that even if resting in bed all the time might give him a few extra days he didn't want to gain that at the cost of being able to truly spend the time with his brothers and sisters especially. As Harry weakened though his body began to lose some of its colour. He became very pale and his hands shook constantly to the point that Ben and Damien were always holding his hands to stop them from showing that to his sisters. By Friday Harry knew he wouldn't last the weekend and he had his talk with his parents in a rare moment when Damien could distract the girls. He knew better than to try to keep Ben out of the conversation. He told them that his only wish was for people to remember him as he was now, alive, and not after his death. He didn't want Ben to have to look at his twin during the funeral.

His mother had barely managed to stay calm during the conversation but his parents had seen the need in Harry's eyes to discuss this, so that he knew people were prepared for it. He told them that if Acacia and Crisanta were with him when he died he didn't want anyone trying to get them to leave. If they wanted to spend the last moments they'd get with him by his side then he'd accept that. He made them promise that as soon as Acacia and Crisanta were able that they'd get taught to be animagi just like Ben and Damien were since it would help to protect them and that as soon as they were able they should start learning how to protect themselves with their cores. His parents had merely nodded knowing that Harry just wanted them to be safe.

When Harry woke up on Saturday morning he knew he was out of time to say his goodbyes. Ben and Damien were awake before him for a change and were at his side instantly. It was already mid morning. Harry looked at Ben and started crying, lifting a tired hand that he could barely move to wipe at his eyes. Ben knew what that meant and Damien worked it out quickly. Harry would only just last the week that Pomfrey had given him.

"Damy, please. I need to see everyone." Harry begged and Damien choked and rushed from the room. "Ben, can you get the boxes?"

Ben nodded and opened the bedside table and put three small jewellery boxes under the pillow out of the way for the time being. "Ben? This..." He touched his chest where the Phoenix pendant that Damien had given him over the summer sat against his collar bone. "I don't want to take it off while I'm still here but..."

"You don't want to be buried with it?" Ben asked.

Harry shook his head. "I want Damien to have it back, to remind him of me but I don't want to be without it. I want it there until the end. Just make sure..."

"I'll take it off and give it to him." Ben nodded. "Are you going to tell him?"

"He'll argue." Harry muttered.

"He'll accept it afterwards. He'll want it." Ben nodded before grabbing Harry's hand. Harry shifted his grip so he could feel the special ring around Ben's finger and know that Harry was touching it.

"This will remind you of me." Harry told him. "No matter where you are or how dark things get. I'll never not be there with you." Harry reached up and touched Ben's chest over his t-shirt. "Right in here with you."

Ben moved them so that Harry could sit between his legs with his back to Ben's chest rather than the pillows, so he could be held but still see everyone that would come in. He steeled himself knowing he had to get through this. "Ben?" Harry asked. "Don't leave me alone alright? I'm scared."

"I promise. Not for a minute." Ben swore to him and wrapped his arms around him.

They sat in silence for a while before the door opened and Damien entered carrying Acacia. He was followed by their father who had Crisanta and then their mother. His mother blanched when she saw Harry sitting almost in Ben's lap and his rather pale and drawn appearance. She moved around the bed and ran her hand through his hair and kissed his forehead. Harry met her eyes as she pulled back and a silent communication passed between them. That this was the end.

"Come up here, Princesses." Harry requested weakly and the two girls carefully climbed onto the bed and sat facing him on either side of him. "I'm sorry to leave you, you know that right?" He asked glancing briefly at Damien and his parents at the foot of the bed. Damien was standing with his back to their father's chest and their father was half holding him up. Damien was a mess but Harry didn't blame him for it.

"We know." Acacia answered for them both.

"I really will watch over you, okay?" Harry told them tearfully. "I don't know what's next but I know I love you enough that wherever I end up I'll be able to watch over you."

Harry grabbed their hands in his own and squeezed them as tight as he could but that wasn't much and he didn't have the energy to keep it up. Ben fidgeted and reached around and put two of the jewellery boxes on Harry's lap. Harry opened one and then shut it again and handed it to Crisanta and then the other to Acacia. "I was going to give these to you on your birthday." Harry told them as they accepted them and opened them.

"Harry?" Crisanta asked.

"I made them for you a long time ago. Back when I was away." Harry told them. "For when I saw you again. I want you to have them."

Acacia and Crisanta both pulled out the delicate necklaces. The pendants fell into their hands as they dropped the chains. Each pendant was made of the same gemstone but was encased in a little metal cage and in the centre of the pendant was a little flower. "Did you know how special your namesakes are in magic?"

The girls nodded showing that their mother had told them. Both flowers were used when making strong potion-based protections. "These will help protect you from poison." Harry told them making his parents gasp as they realise what they were. "If you ever think you've been poisoned all you have to do is dip them in a drink and that drink will cure you from almost anything."

"Harry, they're almost impossible to make." His mother gasped.

"I had help." Harry smiled up at her. "Perenelle invented them. Mum can explain to you all about them if you want to know."

"Put them on." Ben asked them because Harry didn't want to force them in case they didn't like them but he needn't have worried. Both girls slipped them on and looked down at them.

"You like them?" Harry asked.

Both girls moved and he found himself the subject of both of their affection. He kissed them both on the forehead as they sat back, holding his hands. "We won't forget you, big brother." Acacia told him with a small sob.

"Big brother..." Crisanta started crying and Harry reached up and stroked her hair and then did the same to Acacia.

The two backed off and hugged their mother who held them tightly and Harry reached out to Damien who slowly moved and sat on the bed next to him and grabbed one of his hands. "Oh, Damy, I'm so glad I got to see you again. See you all grown up and blushing at girls." Damien gave a small, choked, laugh along with a smile. "Never lose that smile, Damy. Ben?"

Ben handed him a box and Harry gave it to Damien who popped it open with a frown. He pulled out a metal bracelet that was so dark it almost swallowed light and it actually did. "What?" Damien asked.

"Dad'll recognise it." Harry smiled at him. "Put it on."

Damien did as requested and as soon as the clasp closed it burst with light. It seemed to be hollow and the inside of each of the long hinged links glowed with a reddish-white light. "What is it?" Damien asked.

"It's a Triadam." Their father told them, staring at Harry again. "Like the pendants it's potions-based magic but it must have taken months. The ingredients alone would make a dent in my yearly salary."

"The Flamels gave me the ingredients." Harry told his parents. "Along with what I needed for the ring Ben wears and the pendants."

"What's it do?" Damien asked.

"It's kind of like a wishing well." His father explained. "It slowly draws off your magic all the time and stores it until it's filled. This one is so well made that it'll hold an amazing amount."

Harry caught Damien's hand and put his hand around the glowing bracelet. "Even if you take it off it won't drain and nobody but you could use the power inside it. But when you wear it like this if you desperately need something it will try to give it to you. Whether it's just water when you're thirsty or if you really need away from something it'll turn into something similar to a portkey."

"It'll shield you and even cast spells when you don't have a wand." Harry added. "Dad can explain it all later but it's got one of Eridanus' feathers in the mix. So does the ring and the pendants. Willingly given. Makes them more powerful and ups their defensive abilities."

Harry winced when he suddenly felt weaker and Ben noticed when he went limp in his arms. "Damien..." Harry pleaded and reached for him. Damien put the empty box to the side and hugged Harry tightly as he sobbed. Ben wrapped one his arms around his youngest brother and stroked his hair because Harry couldn't find the energy to do it. Damien pulled away but couldn't bring himself to get off of the bed. His sisters rushed to his side and Damien held them both as they watched Harry.

Their parents sat on the bed on the other side. Their father holding their mother. "I love you both." Harry told them. "No matter what happened in the past it never mattered."

"We love you too, Harry." Their father told him as their mother broke down. Harry felt his parents take his left hand in between theirs and felt Damien, Crisanta and Acacia take his other. Ben's body was shaking behind Harry and his arms tightened around Harry as he pressed his face into the side of Harry's neck. Harry could hear him pleading to anybody that was listening but he didn't have the energy to stop him anymore. He couldn't find the energy to say anything but he knew that he'd only be repeating his words. He felt tears running down his neck before his body went numb and heavy.

Harry's eyes shut and he was partly glad that he didn't feel any pain so he could go peacefully. Not for himself but so that his family didn't have to remember his last moments consumed in pain. It was like he was falling asleep in his big brother's arms with his family around him.

Ben's reaction was the first sign that the family got that Harry's body had shut down. Ben cried out and pulled Harry's body to him tighter. Damien and their father shot up knowing that Ben was feeling the loss physically in his body just like he felt Harry's symptoms. Their mother quickly circled the bed to hold the sobbing girls as Damien and their father held Ben and even though they tried Ben refused to let go of his twin brother.

"No..." Ben gasped. "It's wrong. It feels..."

"Shhh..." Their father tried to sooth him, holding the back of his head where his face pressed into Harry's neck. Damien forcibly pulled Ben's hands off of Harry's chest and held them in his own.

"Come on Ben, I know it's hard." Damien cried, feeling a similar pain. "Think of Cacia and Crissy. I know you need comfort but so do they. Don't lose it, big brother. Please don't lose it. Let him go in peace. He deserves that."

Ben sagged like a puppet with its string cut but he still held his face pressed into Harry's neck. "He's gone, Damy." Ben sobbed. "I can't feel him. He's really gone."

"Come on, Benji, let him go so we can lie him down." Damien tried. He hated seeing his big brother like this but he'd known that he'd be inconsolable. Harry had known it too but Ben was sensible and he let their father help him lie Harry back on the pillows and tuck the sheets around him neatly, as if that single thing would make this all better. Ben settled down at Harry's side and took one of his hands in his own and brought it to his lips and kissed it before holding it to his chest.

"Damien, look after your brother." Their father told him. Damien nodded and wiped at his eyes before sitting next to Harry's head. He coaxed Ben's head into his lap and just held it there, stroking his fingers through his hair and giving Ben a constant reminder that he wasn't alone. His own tears streamed down his face but he didn't wipe at them again even when first their mother and then his little sisters kissed Harry's forehead one last time before being led from the room by James.

Ben started fussing and pulled himself up and very carefully pulled Harry's necklace around to get at the clasp and with shaky hands took it off. He twisted to look at a confused Damien and Ben swallowed at the sight of his little brother. "Benji, what...?" Damien asked.

"Harry asked me to make sure he wasn't buried with this." Ben whispered, almost as if he couldn't talk too loudly in case it disturbed Harry. "He wants you to take it. He made me promise."

Damien tried to take the necklace with its phoenix icon on the bottom but his hands shook too much. Ben shifted, pressing himself into Damien's side for support as he looped the chain around Damien's neck and did it up. He put the phoenix down flat against Damien's t-shirt clad chest and held his hand over it. "Damien, I can't do this on my own." Ben sobbed. Damien wrapped his arms around his older brother and let Ben drop his face into Damien's chest. Ben still held one of Harry's hands but he fell asleep against Damien even while they both cried.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Two days later**

Ben stood with Acacia under one arm and Damien against his other side. Crisanta was standing in front of Damien under the protection of his arms. They were red eyed and quiet as they stood in the main living room of the manor as the room slowly filled with people. They didn't recognise them all but the Order members were obvious but people gave them a wide berth. Harry's coffin sat on a flower-coated table at the end of the room and next to it was Harry's favourite picture of Ben, Damien and Harry when they were little kids. The same one that Damien had had next to his bed since childhood. Along with that one was a picture from the Christmas holidays of all five of the children together out in the snow.

Ben looked over at the coffin every few moments and Damien would tighten his arm that was around his older brother every time. Damien felt like somebody had stabbed something through his chest but he knew that Ben felt hollow inside. Ben hadn't moved from Harry's side until Pomfrey and a team from St. Mungo's had arrived to check Harry and formalise everything and then Harry had been moved away for a while and placed down here by that evening inside the coffin. It had been open for a while and Ben and Damien hadn't moved from next to their brother that entire night or the next day until the coffin was closed up and sealed.

Damien had thought about something to put with Harry but Ben had spoken for the first time since he and Damien had sat next to Harry on the bed and told him that Harry would want Damien to keep hold of anything he might think important enough to put in there. So Damien kept his first model plane in his room and Ben kept Harry's wand tucked into his jumper at all times. The Sunday morning newspaper had officially declared Harry as deceased but Ben had broken down when he'd seen it and hadn't tried to read it.

Ben and Damien had tried to sleep the night before in Damien's bed but only ended up holding each other all night while they felt their loss knowing that on the Monday they would bury their brother. Now they watched as quiet and mournful people walked up to Harry's coffin and away into little groups to talk about meaningless things. Nobody but the siblings had really known Harry.

"Do you think he's with the Flamels?" Damien asked Ben suddenly as they spotted Dumbledore enter the room.

"Yeah." Ben whispered back. "They'll look after him just like they did before they died."

"Benji..." Acacia called up at him. "Is Harry happy do you think?"

Ben took strength from his siblings as they reached for him for comfort and he knew that if Harry was in his place he'd do the same. "Harry's not in pain anymore, he's not sick, he can be happy. He can watch over us all and remember what he said? We all have to look out for each other."

"And he'll always be with us." Damien added. "In our hearts and in our memories."

Acacia turned into Ben and hugged him tightly and Ben hugged her back as he stared at the coffin that hid his brother's body. He'd gotten Harry back for a little while and he was glad for that. He had his brother in his memories and in his heart, not just as a little kid in his fading memories but as something real inside his heart. But for Ben the painful thing was that all through his life he'd felt Harry's existence against his own. He'd known that Harry was alive because of the warm feeling he felt in his chest but now that had faded, it had died along with Harry and no matter the years that were going to go past he knew he'd never get used to that empty feeling inside of him.

Ben and Damien helped carry Harry's coffin out along with their father, Remus and Sirius and he was buried alongside his grandparents in the family plot with a simply yet beautiful headstone that listed Harry simply as a beloved brother and son that would never be forgotten.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Harry looked around him at the white expanse wondering if his afterlife really was going to be this simple. He felt pain at leaving his brothers and sisters behind and he wanted nothing more than to go back to them. He knew that logically they'd one day come and find him, hopefully not for a while and he knew he'd miss them but he'd gotten a chance to really know them and he'd bought that chance with years of work and never giving up. Eridanus had given him that chance and he was eternally grateful to Nick and Perenelle for giving him that opportunity. He did wish that he could see his brothers and sisters though. He'd promised that he would watch over them and he planned on it even if he had to threaten someone.

"Hello, Harry." A familiar voice made him twist around and he smiled happily at the familiar face even though years had been taken off. He knew who it was though.

"I'm not dreaming?" Harry check. "That's really you, Nick? Peri?"

"It's really us, Harry." Perenelle smiled and opened her arms. Harry threw himself at the thirty year old looking woman and hugged her tightly. He found himself held between the two. "We've been watching over you, Harry. You took good care of them all."

Harry beamed at them as he pulled back. "So we can watch them all?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry." Nick nodded.

"I've missed you so much." Harry felt tears in his eyes.

"None of that now, Harry." Nick smiled.

"I miss them too though." Harry cried properly.

"It's okay, Harry." A new voice spoke up from behind them and Harry turned to stare at the newcomer. He was a complete stranger but looked to be about Harry's age.

"Who are you?" Harry asked but even as he asked the white seemed to fold back and Harry felt grass under his feet and saw a rolling meadow with a small cottage by a forest in the distance. "Where are we?"

"We're where you think we are." The newcomer told him. "But it takes any number of forms."

"This is how we can watch the living still." Nick explained. "All you have to do is think about who you want to see."

Nick didn't seem bothered by the stranger so Harry let it go. He was dead after all, the other teenager couldn't hurt him here. Maybe he, along with Nick and Perenelle, were his guides or something. It didn't take much for Harry to think about Ben, Damien and his sisters and he saw them sitting together on a sofa watching a tv screen in their den at the manor. Harry hadn't spent much time in that room since when he was Eridanus they preferred to spend their time in Ben's room so he could be human. Ben and Damien were leaning together with their sisters in their laps watching Shrek and Harry smiled at the scene.

"Is this now?" Harry asked.

"This is the present." The newcomer nodded. "Time moves differently up here. While you're viewing the living world time moves in unison but otherwise time moves faster."

"So I can miss things?" Harry asked.

"You will know to watch your loved ones if you need to." The man told him. "But in your case, as with mine, it does not matter."

"What?" Harry gasped. "Why not? I want to watch over them. I promised. Please don't take that from me!"

"I meant only that the world is not ready to be without you yet." The newcomer told him.

"I don't understand." Harry frowned. "I'm dead, right?"

"You are in a way. Your human life is over." The teenager clarified. "But you were never only human were you?"

"If you're talking about Eridanus I don't see how being an animagus makes any difference." Harry frowned.

"It is impossible for a human to turn into a magical creature, especially a Phoenix." The teenager smiled.

"I managed it." Harry pointed out.

"No, you didn't." The man shook his head. "The Phoenix took you over."

"What?" Harry stepped back into Nick who hugged him.

"It's okay, Harry. We already know, you can calm down. It's a good thing." Nick reassured him.

"So what are you saying exactly?" Harry pressed.

"All Phoenixes are born as you were. Human, a younger twin. They all died, most in their early years and became what they truly were." The boy explained. "I've told you part of this already."

"What?" Harry frowned. "Who _are _you?"

"My name is Fawkes." The teenager smiled. "This was my form as a human before I became what I am now. As a Phoenix I can shift between this place and the living world. It has been my destiny to protect others for a thousand years. My first bonded was my older twin brother, Godric Gryffindor."

"The hat...?" Harry gasped. "It said..."

"That it'd seen another like you?" Fawkes smiled. "I was the youngest Phoenix in the world, there are two others. Now though, you are the youngest."

"I..." Harry started shaking. "Tell me what that means."

"You'll be returned to the living world as Eridanus." Fawkes told him. "You will be just as you were when you were a Phoenix but you will no longer be part human. That form is gone now, the body buried with your headstone. None but your siblings can ever know the truth of where Phoenixes come from. Godric learnt it and your brothers and sisters will learn but none other. It is a secret that must be guarded just as this place's secrets must be guarded."

"I can go back to Benji?" Harry asked weakly. "And Damy? Crissy and Cacia?"

"Yes." Fawkes nodded with a happy smile. "For the rest of their lives you will be bonded to them, Benjamin primarily but that will not keep you closed off from your other siblings. But your parents cannot know the truth. That is how it works and always has."

"And I can come here?" Harry asked. "Later? I can visit them?"

"We come and go as we please." Fawkes smiled. "We are the protectors of everything. I will teach you everything once you return and return soon you must."

"Why?" Fawkes asked.

"The transition takes time and already a month has past for the world below us." Fawkes explained. "Voldemort will move against Benjamin soon and you will have to protect him."

"Does he hurt?" Harry asked Fawkes. "He always knew that I was alive. Is that gone now?"

"It has broken." Fawkes nodded. "But when you return a new bond, a stronger one, will form between you to replace it."

"Ben will be happy?" Harry checked.

"Just as my twin was when I returned." Fawkes smiled at him. "You've led a tough life, Harry, full of pain, but that life is over now. Now you start a new one as Eridanus and your siblings will always have their brother to protect them even if the rest of the world sees you only as a Phoenix."

Harry turned to Nick and Perenelle. "I get to go to Ben." He gasped and Perenelle hugged him tightly.

"You deserve to be happy, Harry." She told him. "Just visit us occasionally okay?"

"Of course." Harry smiled at them. "I really did miss you both."

"You take care of yourself." Nick told him as he hugged him. "And those siblings of yours and don't worry, we're watching."

"Come, Eridanus." Fawkes called him over and took his hand. "This will feel strange at first but I'll transport us both back to the living world. I fear we are out of time."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Search your feelings, you will know that Ben is in danger." Fawkes told him. "He needs you but you will be there in time."

Flames shot up around them and Harry squeezed Fawkes' hand only for it to slide out of his hand as he felt himself change form, slipping into Eridanus' body even as he felt himself being transported for longer than he'd ever fire travelled before. When he re emerged he found himself falling and opened his wings on instinct. "It feels good to be back like this." He said to himself but it came out as a trill.

"It has been kept from you for too long." Fawkes trilled back and Harry twisted his head and saw the larger Phoenix gliding above him.

"_Someone help!"_ He heard a cry in his head and almost lost his glide.

"Was that...?" Harry asked.

"Ben." Fawkes told him. "He's thinking for help. I can hear it but it is you that must answer. Trust in your senses. You know where he is so go to him." Harry trilled out into the air in defiance against whoever was after his twin brother and his form burst into flames and vanished.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Ben scrambled around behind one of the trees in the forest around his home. He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid. He'd seen Sirius out here calling to him and obediently come outside. Now Voldemort was just toying with him while Death Eaters filled the trees. He had to try to get back to the manor but he knew that Voldemort would cut him down if he lost the cover of the trees. He needed help but Voldemort had snapped his wand when he'd first had a scuffle with him almost ten minutes ago.

The wards on the manor had sprung up with Voldemort's presence and he knew his parents and siblings must know he was missing but they'd never find him in time. The tree at his back burned hot and Ben only just managed to scramble away before it shattered. He grabbed Harry's wand, never far from him in the six weeks that Ben had been alone. "Please, somebody help." He whispered. The wand in his hand throbbed and Ben twisted and send a shredding curse through the trees which tore up foliage. He turned and ran in the confusion, shocked at the power in Harry's wand. He hadn't tried it before but it felt comfortable to him. As if Harry was there with him.

He broke out of the trees but his freedom was short lived as a spell threw him face first into the grass short of the wards. He could see his home in the darkness and he saw people rushing out. Aurors and his parents and the real Sirius, not the one Voldemort had put in his head to trick him out of the safety of the wards. But they were all too far away and Voldemort and his Death Eaters too close. Ben rolled onto his front and then up onto his knees and was about to force himself to his feet when Voldemort smashed him with a wave of magic sending him onto his back.

"Maybe I'll see you sooner than I thought, brother." Ben whispered to himself. "Sorry Damy..."

He was cut off from apologising to his younger siblings when a line of flames streaked across the sky and a piercing Phoenix call echoed through the area and filled his ears. He felt energy flooding him as he spotted the Phoenix shoot towards him.

"No!" He heard Voldemort yell just as the Phoenix landed on his chest with a flapping of wings and the tearing of clothing under claws and then Ben's world exploded with fire. Ben felt himself fall a foot before luckily hitting a soft mattress and his hands came up towards the bird before he decided against it. That was until the Phoenix settled down on his chest and tucked its beak up under his chin in a very familiar way.

"Harry!" He cried sitting up on his own bed and catching the smaller than normal Phoenix in his arms, cradling him as the bird straightened itself but didn't try to get away.

"_Hi, Benji." _Harry beloved voice echoed in his mind. Ben started breathing quickly, in shock, panic and wonder. _"Just to point something out, you really shouldn't go into the forest on your own like that."_

"Please don't be dreaming..." Ben muttered to himself.

"_No, you're not dreaming, Benji."_ Harry told him.

"You died." Ben gasped. "I held you when you died."

"_Yeah, I did."_ Harry agreed and scrambled around so he could twist his neck and preen at Ben's cheeks and hair. _"According to Fawkes though that's only the start of my new life as Eridanus."_

"I don't understand." Ben told him.

"_Being a Phoenix was what was killing my human body."_ Harry told him. _"That body was temporary so that I could have a life with you but eventually it had to give out so I could be a Phoenix properly."_

"You're here." Ben told him.

"_No human body."_ Harry warned him. _"But yes, I'm here."_

"And I can feel you in here." Ben tapped his chest. "It went away. You went away."

"_But now I'm back. I'm going to be your Phoenix and I'll look after you, Damy, Crissy and Cacia."_ Harry told him.

"What do I tell them all?" Ben asked before shooting up to his feet. "Wait, they might think I'm hurt. I have to tell them!"

"_Okay."_ Harry told him. _"Damy, Cacia and Crissy can know the truth about me but mum and dad have to go on thinking I'm dead."_

"But..." Ben looked a little surprised.

"_I don't make the rules, big brother."_ Harry told him before wriggling free and scrambling up onto Ben's shoulder.

"We need to find Damien." Ben told him as he reached up with his right hand and stroked him, tears on his face. "I can't believe you're here. I thought..."

"_Oh, I know, Benji."_ Harry rubbed his face against Ben's ear, nibbled on the lobe and then preened his hair. _"I love you so much and now there's nothing that's going to come between us."_

The door smashed open making Harry flap his wings in shock even as Ben reached for the wand he'd dropped on the bed. Damien hurtled into the room, looking away and then gawking at Eridanus on Ben's shoulder. "Is that...?" Damien choked and grabbed at the necklace around his neck.

"Yeah, Damy." Ben smiled happily even with tears on his cheeks. Harry opened his wings and glided over to Damien and landed on his arm and then shifted up to his shoulder. He preened at Damien's red hair as he trilled gently in his ear.

"_I'm sorry I had to die like that, Damien."_ Harry told him getting a choked sob from his little brother. _"It had to happen to free me from my illness."_

"How are you here?" Damien asked.

"_Seems it was supposed to happen eventually."_ Harry told him. _"Fawkes told me I had to die to become a real Phoenix."_

"You're real?" Damien asked as he tried to twist to look at him. "And staying?"

"_Staying."_ Harry told him bluntly. _"Always."_

Damien couldn't hold it in any longer. He pulled Eridanus off of his shoulder and into his arms, hugging him carefully. Harry wiggled but was happy with his setting and reached up to nibble on Damien's chin with his beak even as Ben wrapped both of them up in his arms.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	15. Life After Death

Birth of a Phoenix

A/N; Yes I know, shocking, I'm still here. It's just been extremely hectic lately in the real world. Work, exams and all the rest of life's little surprises. I'll be updating now and again over the next few months and might post some of my new stories so please keep an eye out.

This story is obviously not over although a few people believed that after the last chapter and I admit it would have made a good ending but I'm not completely done with this story yet although time might pass a little quicker now and the following chapters might be more like a large epilogue broken into chapters.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 15; Life after Death

**July 18****th**** 1996 - Brecon Beacons**

Eridanus ignored the chatter around the breakfast table as he perched on the window sill of the conservatory where Lily had decided the family was going to meet up that morning. Acacia was sitting next to Benjamin opposite Crisanta and Damien with their parents at opposite ends of the table.

It had been a strange week for all of them. Lily had barely let Ben out of her sight after what had happened with Voldemort and it had become obvious to even James that if Eridanus hadn't returned from 'mourning Harry's death' that Ben would now be dead. Dumbledore had arrived not long after Eridanus' save and while the Aurors had searched the nearby area for Death Eaters Dumbledore had tried to get what had happened out of Ben only to be ignored as Ben fussed over Eridanus, only letting the Phoenix out of his arms long enough for Damien, Crisanta and Acacia to pet and hug him.

Damien and Benjamin had barely held it together but in part they got to keep Harry in their lives and they were adjusting but it was hard for Ben to have the reminder that he'd never hold Harry in his arms again. Eridanus had been constantly flooding their bonds to him with soothing warmth and love since he'd come back to try to make it easier on them. The girls, due to start Hogwarts that year, weren't slow and knew what Eridanus was. They knew that somehow Eridanus had returned and it had been tough on them knowing that they'd lost the big brother that had just been returned to them. They knew that they had to keep it to themselves though and Eridanus made sure to spend as much time as he could spare with them, going so far as to sleep on the bedside table that sat between their beds.

Eridanus knew though that his siblings needed to get on with their lives and adjust to having a Phoenix there with them and not a brother. He'd always be their big brother and twin but he'd never be a human again and they had to change how they thought of him or they'd never heal. War was coming and he'd be there for them no matter what but he also felt it in him that it wasn't going to be easy on them and his death and rebirth wasn't going to be the first big change for them.

He perked up during Damien talking about what school work he had to do before they returned to Hogwarts when he heard a gentle trill resound through the air. He opened his wings and flapped and called out in return and as if guiding him into the conservatory he felt a flash of warmth fill the room and Fawkes appeared and did a circuit as everyone stared.

"Good morning, Fawkes." Lily greeted as the larger bird glided down and settled on the back of Acacia's chair. Eridanus hopped into the air and with a few quick beats of his wings lifted himself up enough to glide onto the back of Damien's chair so he was almost shoulder to shoulder with the older Phoenix. He trilled happily as Damien automatically fed him a blackcurrant from the small bowl of fruits and berries that always appeared at meals now just for Eridanus. Acacia responded to Lily's nod of permission and offered a blackberry up for Fawkes' beak.

"_Does this mean Dumbledore is on the way?"_ Eridanus trilled gently keeping his thoughts from Ben for practice.

"_He should be at the door now." _Fawkes told him. _"I dropped him off at the edge of the wards. He seemed to wish to be polite."_

"_He invited himself to breakfast. That's polite."_ Eridanus trilled rudely and Fawkes opened his wings and clipped him on the back of the head before Eridanus could duck.

"Why do I get the feeling that Eridanus just said something rude about the Headmaster?" Lily asked her children before looking at Ben. It had become well known in the order that Eridanus had become Ben's familiar after Harry had died and they knew that Eridanus could speak to him now. Even that he seemed to be able to speak to Damien, Crisanta and Acacia too.

"I don't know what they were talking about." Ben shrugged.

'_Dumbledore is walking up the drive.'_ Eridanus told Ben through their new link.

"_Come little Phoenix."_ Fawkes trilled. _"We have things to discuss while my bonded trains your siblings."_

"_Do we?"_ Eridanus would have frowned if he could. He quickly filled Ben in on Fawkes' demand.

"_We do."_ Fawkes declared. _"You are still new to your abilities and you must be trained."_

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Three hours later**

Eridanus soared into the room through an open loft window and into the training room of the Manor where Dumbledore always taught Ben and Damien. The boys looked rather tired facing one another with shield bubbles around them. Eridanus could see the throb of power between them as they asserted pressure on each other's bubbles, training in wandlessly attacking another target. Eridanus trilled a boosting song that Fawkes had just helped him to perfect and their bubbles strengthened and to Dumbledore's surprise Ben's gentle blue bubble trickled over with flames.

"That's very interesting." Dumbledore pointed out to him as he settled down on the back of the empty chair beside Dumbledore. "Not once has my own magic been effected by Fawkes' presence." Eridanus just tilted his head at Dumbledore, playing dumb. "They are not very good at turning their magic on one another." Eridanus trilled at him pointedly. "I understand perfectly that it isn't natural for them. Unfortunately both of them are far too powerful to train against their year mates."

Ben pulled his magic back into himself and Damien followed suit and flopped back onto the floor. Ben smiled across at his younger brother. Eridanus took flight and glided down onto Damien's chest and trilled gently.

"Perhaps a break is in order?" Dumbledore nodded. "There is something I have had the time to study in your cores while you worked. Who started teaching you how to become Animagi?"

"Harry did." Ben told him sharply.

"Who taught Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"_Tell him."_ Eridanus told them both telepathically.

"Nicolas Flamel." Damien told the Headmaster as if that was run of the mill.

"Did Harry have a form?" Dumbledore asked but he glanced at Eridanus knowing that Eridanus had been Harry's to start with.

"No." Ben lied. "He couldn't do that sort of magic without it hurting too much. He did know the theory though."

"I should have known. The way you are doing it is a very difficult and rare form of learning but it ties your Animagus in with your core magic and makes them impossible to detect as Animagi." Dumbledore lectured. "It also makes it harder to learn. How far have you come?"

"_You might as well show him."_ Eridanus admitted. _"Might as well tell him I'm teaching the girls it too."_

Damien sat up and put Eridanus down on the floor before focusing. He pulled himself forwards into a crouch and then dropped forwards except as his hands touched the matting they were large black paws and the rest of him was a large black panther that rumbled at Ben affectionately.

"Look at the cute little kitty." Ben grinned and let Damien pounce forwards and knock him back onto the mats.

"Very impressive, Damien." Dumbledore admired. "A very seamless transformation. I've only ever seen Professor McGonagall do as well. Can you change also, Ben?"

"I can but I'm still learning to control it." Ben admitted.

"Oh?" Dumbledore looked confused. Ben stood up and instantly started shrinking in size until he was looking up at Damien's Panther form. He spread his dark brown wings with their little flecks of bright gold. The Golden Eagle snapped its beak at Damien when Damien moved his head closer to sniff. For a Golden Eagle he had a rather magical look to him, with bright eyes that matched the colour of his own and much richer colours just like Damien was almost the darkness of shadows rather than just black like normal Panthers.

Damien sat back and Eridanus flapped into the air and settled on his large head much to Damien's disgust. Eridanus leaned down and preened at Damien's fur getting a happy rumble in return. Eventually Ben got used to the wings again and with a few struggling wing strokes managed to get himself onto a work out bench though he almost toppled off.

"Oh I see!" Dumbledore nodded wisely. "Still learning to fly?" Ben squawked dejectedly and jabbed his head in Eridanus' direction. "Ah, Eridanus is teaching you?" Ben nodded his head before shifting his form again. He sat himself on the bench as a human and Eridanus glided over to him and set himself into his lap while Damien turned back to his human form.

"I must say that's very impressive for boys your age." Dumbledore nodded.

"Harry was a good teacher." Ben told Dumbledore simply. "Eridanus is going to start teaching the girls once they get to Hogwarts."

Dumbledore hummed and looked out of the window. "Perhaps you are right." He decided eventually. "I only ask that he do so where the others cannot see it and that the girls, and the two of you, keep it to yourselves. As I'm sure you're aware being unregistered Animagi is in fact illegal."

"You're not telling us to register?" Damien asked in confusion.

"Being registered greatly reduces the point of having the forms for protection." Dumbledore told them. "For your safety you can't let the Death Eaters realise you have a form."

"That's what Harry said." Damien grumbled.

"Harry was very..." Dumbledore started but Ben stood up sharply.

"I don't care what you thought of Harry." Ben snapped dangerously and Eridanus felt the shiver of his magic in the air. Both of his brothers hated it when Dumbledore talked about Harry. They still blamed Dumbledore for his 'death'.

"I think that's enough practice for today." Dumbledore nodded as if nothing had happened. "Sirius will be along tomorrow to teach you duelling techniques."

Before he could really finish Ben and Damien were walking out of the door with Eridanus perched on Ben's shoulder, preening his hair.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**September 1****st**

Ben and Damien paused as they emerged from the floor with a little more grace than normal. Now that they had better harnessed their cores the floo didn't throw them about so much. Not to mention Damien's body had become fine tuned with his panther animagus and Ben was just as much affected by his Eagle form. He was a lot lighter and faster now.

They turned as one as two smaller forms stumbled out of the floo and they caught their younger sisters lightly and put them down on their feet. The girls brushed themselves off as if the whole thing was a common occurrence and accepted their trunks from Eridanus who had teleported in as soon as Ben and Damien had disappeared through the manor's fireplace. It took a moment more before silence suddenly reigned throughout the platform.

"Do they always do this?" Acacia asked a little louder than necessary. "You'd think they'd won some sort of prize or something."

"No wonder Damien's got a little bit of a complex." Crisanta added musingly and Eridanus laughed mentally as people blushed in humiliation at being called by two first years.

Eridanus glided across to Acacia's shoulder and knew he had the eyes of everyone there as Ben and Damien grabbed their trunks and pretended not to notice they were still getting stared at. He rode on her shoulder as Acacia and Crisanta headed for the train and he watched with a twisted head as Ben stared down a seventh year that was gawking at him and in the way of him and the train.

"Should we go with them?" Crisanta leaned in to whisper to her twin sister.

"And be known as just the younger sisters?" Acacia shook her head. "I know mum said..."

"But Eridanus will watch us." Crisanta completed the sentence and Eridanus couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy at the way they did that. He loved it. He leaned down and nipped at Acacia's ear to show he agreed.

"As if we need watching." Acacia nodded and lugged her trunk in through the door of an empty apartment and then jumped up getting a squawk of surprise as Eridanus almost fell off. Acacia froze at the top as he regained his balance before reaching up to stroke him in apology. "Sorry. Forgot you were there."

"Only you could forget about a Phoenix sitting on your shoulder." Crisanta chuckled and Eridanus trilled at her disapprovingly as she pushed in her trunk and then climbed up. "Alright, alright, big brother." She rolled her eyes again and Eridanus glided off to the chairs as the girls managed to push their trunks up into the racks. He moved to use Crisanta's lap as a perch and she stroked him just under his beak getting a purr out of him.

"Are Damien and Ben going to worry about us?" Acacia asked Eridanus. Eridanus shook his head before reaching out telepathically knowing his bond with his little sisters was strong enough.

"_They know what you decided."_ Eridanus told them both softly. _"Ben's a little dubious but Damien's put him in his place."_

"_Hey!"_ Ben complained since Eridanus hadn't cut him out of the link. He trilled in amusement before settling down for the long run. He paid attention when some first years found their way into the cabin and introduced themselves and he listened with detached interest as Acacia explained Eridanus' presence. He had been Harry's Phoenix until he'd died and then bonded with Ben but was spending the train journey so far with Acacia and Crisanta. Nobody really ever questioned the decisions of a Phoenix.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Later**

Acacia and Crisanta made a few friends out of first years on the way to the school and even one boy, clearly a first year too, that had been introduced to them and turned his nose up at them and stomped out. Eridanus thought he made a nice little Malfoy in training although there was something about the way he acted which threw Eridanus a little. The rest of the train journey passed rather uneventfully except for Acacia trying to feed him chocolate. Eridanus had been tempted but didn't that was a wise idea.

Eridanus followed the girls right until they were crossing the lake in the boats with Hagrid before he rose up into the sky and over the walls searching out his own twin. He slipped through one of the owl windows at the top of the room and trilled gently before gliding down to be pampered by his older brother. Damien was slightly further down the table with his own dorm mates and Benjamin was sitting with Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dean and Seamus. The only sixth years not sitting with them were Lavender and Parvati who were sitting with some of the fifth year girls.

"Hey, Eri." Benji whispered and kissed the top of his head. Eridanus leaned up and nibbled on his chin without saying a word and then took wing and slowly circled gracefully up towards the rafters where he could watch everything easily. The room quickly filled and then McGonagall was showing the new first years in. Eridanus spotted the girls easily where they walked side by side and he watched lazily as slowly the ones before them were Sorted in order.

When Acacia was finally called the room went quiet before muttering started. Eridanus' hearing picked up his own mortal name a couple of times but Acacia ignored it all rather gracefully and perched herself on the stool before the Hat was dropped down over her eyes. Eridanus glanced down at Benjamin and then Damien and could see the tenseness in them. This was going to be difficult. Both boys wanted the girls to be safely placed with them in Gryffindor but Eridanus knew the house wouldn't perfectly suit them.

It took almost three minutes before the rip opened and called out her destiny. "Slytherin!"

Uproar spread through the room and Eridanus glanced at his brothers again to see their shock. Eridanus had known it was coming though, for both of the girls. They were sly, cunning, quick witted and that put them firmly in Slytherin. Acacia had damp eyes when she stood but when she looked up at sought out Eridanus against the dark sky above her he knew that it wasn't because of where she had ended up but because of something the hat had said about him.

McGonagall was clearly just as shocked as the rest of the school but she called out Crisanta to go next and she was only on the stool for a minute or so before the hat placed her with her sister. She glanced up at Eridanus too as she moved towards the near end of the Slytherin table and the Sorting got back underway.

"_Eridanus?"_ Crisanta was the one to call him. Except for Benjamin they all had to call his attention verbally first to get his attention but they could do that at a whisper and he'd hear them at any distance. He turned to look down at the twins looking up at him and established a mental connection.

"_Yes, Crisanta?"_ He asked and knew by Ben and Damien's presence in his mind that they could hear him and would hear whatever she said.

"_Is Benji and Damien angry at us?"_ Crisanta sounded really scared.

"_No!"_ The two voices echoed loudly through Eridanus making him squawk in surprise, drawing attention to himself in the process. Both boys sounded so shocked that the girls could even think about that.

"_If you two are finished trying to make my head explode."_ Eridanus reprimanded before turning his attention back to the girls though he kept the boys in the link. _"They're just worried about your safety is all. We all knew just how cunning and sly you both are. Being in Slytherin doesn't mean anything but that you suit the characteristic there. Not everybody has to be stupidly courageous running into a spiked pit to save a rabbit. Remember I got put in Ravenclaw."_

"_What's Dad going to say?"_ Acacia sounded upset.

"_He'll be fine with it, Cacia." _Ben assured her. _"I know he spent all day yesterday and this morning talking about having all four of us in Gryffindor but Dad has a habit of making assumptions."_

"_And Mum knew this was likely going to happen."_ Damien pointed out. _"She kept trying to get him to shut up."_

"_Write them a letter and I'll be a delivery chicken for a change."_ Eridanus offered. _"I want to watch Dad go bonkers and I don't want the Prophet getting there first."_

"_Eri!"_ Crisanta gasped but when Eridanus looked down at them all they were laughing.

"_So... who's going to feed me?"_ Eridanus demanded. _"Not chocolate this time, Acacia."_

"_You tried to feed him chocolate!"_ Ben gasped. _"Don't you dare! He was bad enough the last time!"_ Eridanus trilled out in amusement just as the food appeared on the tables. The entire student body cheered up at the sound of his call and by unspoken agreement he glided down to the girls to assess which of the students around them were dangerous.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**That night – Potter Manor**

Eridanus trilled loudly into the sitting room as he exploded out of a ball of fire that lit up the room. His parents were sitting on the sofa with his mother leaning against his father's bare chest. Eridanus didn't mind their intimacy but they'd clearly been expecting the possibility of a letter being sent and were at least decent. He trilled in amusement as they looked up at him and Lily flicked her wand and the owl perch in the corner shot over and stopped in front of the sofa. Eridanus glided down and landed gently and balanced as he offered his leg.

She sat up and quickly untied the letter and Eridanus eyed his father warningly which got him a frown from him. His mum read the letter and gasped when she got to the important part. That got his Dad's attention rather rapidly and he tried to take the letter from her only to have her pull it away from him. "What?" He demanded.

"Acacia and Crisanta were Sorted into Slytherin." She told him softly. "They thought we should know before it got into the papers tomorrow or people started sending us mail about it."

"Slytherin!" His Dad was on his feet in seconds, pacing up and down. "How could that be true! No Potter should be in..."

He was cut off when Eridanus took to the air and trilled angrily before clawing him on the shoulder. He yelped and flapped his arms at him but Eridanus just circled him and set down on his other shoulder, squeezing with his sharp talons just enough to make it known what he'd do if his Dad said another bad word about it.

"James, we knew this could happen." His Mum pointed out. "The girls have always had the characteristic of true Slytherins."

"So did the Dark Lord!" James snapped. Eridanus tightened his claws warningly.

"The Dark Lord has nothing in common with our daughters!" His Mum stood and glared at her husband dangerously. "Don't you ever say something like that to them. They're going to have it rough as it is."

His Dad sighed and hung his head. Eridanus relaxed his grip on his shoulder and leaned down and nibbled on his father's ear gently before preening his messy hair, so much like his own. His Dad reached up to stroke him in apology. "I'm sorry." He muttered miserably. "Every Potter has been a Gryffindor."

"Harry was Sorted into Ravenclaw." His mum pointed out. "Our children have dealt with a lot and that's going to change them. Just because the girls have grown up to suit Slytherin doesn't make them any less Gryffindors. It's just that their Slytherin sides are that little bit stronger than their Gryffindor sides. Harry told me that the Sorting hat told him he could have been put into any house and Benjamin admitted this summer that the hat gave him a choice between Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"It's not safe for any of them to be in Slytherin." His Dad decided on eventually after getting over his shock at his wife's words. "Most of the sixth and seventh years might as well be part of the war already."

"And maybe their presence there might stop the younger years from following." His Mum pointed out.

"And who's going to protect them from people wanting to use them against Benjamin or us?" He demanded and Eridanus was shocked to see tears in his eyes. He flapped up into the air and his father collapsed onto the chair. Eridanus glided down into his lap and settled down, relaxing against his father's chest for the first time. His gentle trill helped his father keep his calm.

"The rules apply in Slytherin just as they do in any other house. No boy can go into the girls' dorms." She pointed out. "That'll keep them safe from most of the older boys when they sleep and I doubt Severus will allow any harm to come to them."

Eridanus trilled to remind them of himself and they both looked down. "And Eridanus can hear them call him and can get to them instantly no matter where they are and can get them out just as easily." His father nodded and stroked Eridanus with both hands, a small smile on his lips.

"You write to the girls to make sure they know we don't care where they were sorted. Make sure to tell them to call Eridanus if they get into trouble." His mum demanded.

"What are you going to do?" He frowned.

"Write Severus a letter and see what he thinks about their security." She assured him. "Probably better coming from me than from you."

His father chuckled but didn't seem to want to get up to write a letter and lose Eridanus from his lap. "Strangely I'd feel better about this if Harry was..." He choked and dropped his head back against the sofa.

"Harry was the type that would break every rule imaginable to make sure they were safe." She nodded in agreement. "And I miss him too."

"We made too many mistakes, Lils." His father shook his head. "We can't afford to make any more. And if we do I'm sure Harry will find a way to shout at us for it."

Eridanus trilled gently and rose up to sit on the back of the sofa. He preened his father's hair gently before doing the same with his mum. He waited until they both had letters for him and then took wing and transported himself back to Hogwarts.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Hogwarts**

He burst into existence in the middle of the Slytherin common room to find most of the older years catching up. He had known the girls would be around here but hadn't actually tried to sense them since it wouldn't hurt to remind the other Slytherins that the girls had Eridanus at their beck and call and after what he'd done to Draco Malfoy last year they knew he'd take serious action to protect them.

"Is that the Headmasters?" A second year asked his friends.

"Too small." A fourth year shook his head. "That's Ben Potter's."

"The one that used to be Harry's?" The second year stared up as Eridanus as he settled on a ledge that ran around the top of the room. Eridanus recognised the second year as Dominique Pascal. Eridanus had seen him a few times when he'd been trapped as a human. He'd stopped Ravenclaws from teasing the Slytherin who was a lot smaller than most of the other second years.

"Keep your opinions on that dead brat to yourself." A seventh year snapped and Dominique flinched and hung his head. Eridanus couldn't help but trill angrily and swoop low through the room and settle on the arm of the chair that Dominique was sitting in. He didn't stop for long, just long enough to glare warningly at the seventh year holding court with his friends across the room. He was going to make the most of this year, he decided. There were clearly Slytherins that wouldn't fall straight in with the Death Eaters and he planned to find them and make sure they were looked after and protected from strong arming.

Eridanus launched himself into the air and burst into flames and teleported himself up to where he could sense the girls down one of the corridors. They were in one of the furthest rooms and as he appeared in the middle of the room he spotted four beds around the dorm and a window that let in a soft breeze. He landed on the window sill and cocked his head curiously knowing that they were actually underground. He poked at the opening with his beak and squawked as his beak hit solid stone.

"_That's just cruel!"_ He complained to the girls who giggled and he was suddenly being scooped up into Acacia's arms and hugged.

"We didn't know if you were going to come down." Acacia whispered and Eridanus looked around at the other two girls in the room. One was staring at Eridanus in interest but the other was trying to avoid his gaze.

"Elizabeth, Penny, this is Eridanus." Crisanta introduced before turning to Eridanus. "Eri, this is Elizabeth Petcher and Penelope Searen."

"You think he understands you?" Elizabeth, the girl averting her eyes, laughed.

"Better than most other people we know." Acacia set him down on the footboard of her bed before heading back to her open trunk on her bed. "He's got a rather vicious humour too so watch what you say about him or about Ben especially."

"You can't understand him though, right?" Penny still looked intrigued. "I mean just Ben can right?"

"Yeah." Acacia shrugged. "But he's pretty obvious at times and he'll just bug you until he gets his point across."

"Is that a letter?" Crisanta sat on the edge of her sister's bed and reached for the two letters tied to Eridanus' legs. She spotted the one for Severus Snape but didn't say a word about it as she untied the other one and opened it up. Eridanus shifted and hopped down onto her lap and crooned as her hands shook.

"_He got a little anxious when he found out but he still loves you. He's just worried about how his baby girls are going to get treated."_ Eridanus told his little sisters. _"I need to go deliver another letter and then I'll be back. The boys can't come into this corridor without so many alarms going off that I think Ben and Damien will be down here instantly but watch out for them if you go out into the common room. Some of them aren't impressed."_

Crisanta stroked him as she handed the letter to her sister and then he took wing and exploded into flames again until he was out flying around the towers, seeking out Severus Snape. The problem was he didn't know where his rooms were or how to find somebody that wasn't family. He was about to go to Fawkes for help when another idea hit him and he turned and glided for the owlery. He soared through the doors and instantly heard a clambering of amazement from every owl there.

"_Oh, all of you shut your traps!"_ A familiar voice yelled and the brown owl glided into the air and followed Eridanus until they were back on the perch that Thor had claimed. Eridanus knew that chances were Hedwig was using the same perch.

Thor turned to him and leaned over and used his beak to straighten a few of Eridanus' neck feathers and Eridanus trilled gently at what consisted of his friend and preened at Thor's own neck feathers. _"These bloody brainless idiots have been going on about you since we got here."_

"_Where's Hedwig?"_ Eridanus asked.

"_Ran away like a coward."_ Thor hooted happily. _"Went to see Hagrid."_

"_I need some help."_ Eridanus told him.

"_Oh! Something for the poor owl to do?"_ Thor hooted cheekily. _"Finally bored of you taking all their mail?"_

"_You know Damien loves you."_ Eridanus trilled mournfully and Thor hooted to show he knew. Eridanus leaned closer and nipped at Thor's neck. _"I need to get a letter to Snape from mum about the twins."_

"_Down in the snake's lair where we can't fly?"_ Thor asked after the girls.

"_They have horrible windows that have breeze and light but aren't really there."_ Eridanus complained and Thor snickered.

"_Never needed to take a letter there. I think Slytherin owls have to wait for meal times." _Thor shrugged like only an owl can. _"We're not supposed to deliver at any other time anyway but Hedwig and I don't care."_

"_Too right."_ Eridanus laughed. _"So how do I find Snape?"_

"_Use the magic of your owner to search out the addressee. We just concentrate on the mission and the magic guides us."_ Thor told him. _"At least that's how it works for us."_

"_I have my own magic. I use it to find people but I only know how to find Ben, Damien, Mum, Dad and the girls. I can find Sirius and Remus too. And Fawkes, you and Hedwig."_ Eridanus told him. _"Can you find him and tell me where he is?"_

Thor shut his eyes for a moment before turning back to look at him. _"No. I need to have been given a letter by a wizard. Damy or somebody he has written too. Other than that I can only find Damien. And you actually."_

"_That's sweet."_ Eridanus trilled in amusement and wondered whether Thor was as embarrassed as he looked. _"What if I give you the letter?"_

"_I still need the magic."_ Thor shook his head.

"_Take some of mine then."_ Eridanus trilled. _"You remember me when I was human."_

"_You were a nice human. You make a better bird though."_ Thor hooted and sidled closer. Thor touched him and Eridanus felt his own brand of magic bubbling a little and then Thor hooted happily. _"That worked. I can take the letter now or just show you to him."_

"_You can't tell me where he is?"_ Eridanus asked in confusion.

"_Only if I recognise the location. I've never been there before."_ Thor shrugged. _"Come on."_

Thor took wing and Eridanus was quick to follow, escaping the still clambering owls that were gawking at him. He followed Thor as he winged around the castle's towers and eventually zeroed in on what Eridanus recognised as the Headmaster's office. He was a little surprised that Snape would be there this late when he had new students to look after. He followed Thor straight through the window and dropped the letter in Snape's lap. There was no way he wanted Snape to touch him. It was bad enough having to deliver a letter to him. Thor stole the other side of Fawkes' perch and eyed the bigger bird dubiously. Eridanus perched on the window sill and looked over the two wizards.

"It seems as though we have been invaded, Severus." The headmaster chuckled.

"About the youngest Potters." Snape told him as he read the letter.

"I had not expected them to have heard yet. I was going to send them a letter before I retired." The headmaster mused before holding up at lemon drop towards Eridanus who cocked his head before hopping across onto his desk and eyeing the sweet. Ben had told him about them but he'd never tried one.

"_I really wouldn't."_ Fawkes warned. _"They're a little sharp."_

"_I'll have one!" _Thor declared and glided onto the desk and plucked one out of the bowl much to the headmaster's amusement. Eridanus shrugged internally and took the sweet from him deciding that he might as well try it once. He savoured it a little and then swallowed before choking at the sharp taste. It wasn't all that bad and Thor seemed to like it enough for the both of them. He gallantly let Thor return to the perch.

"I always wondered if Phoenixes could talk to owls. Fawkes always seemed amused by the idea." The headmaster smiled. "Getting back to the topic of importance though."

"I don't think it wise to keep the girls in the dorms." Snape shook his head. "It's tempting fate. How a Potter was sorted as anything but a foolish Gryffindor I don't know."

"You may recall that Harry was sorted as a Ravenclaw." The headmaster pointed out.

"And then..." Snape started but trailed off. He'd probably been about to say something derogatory about Harry living in Gryffindor Tower regardless of where he was sorted but obviously found it in bad taste.

"It seems Eridanus has taken an interest." The headmaster pointed out. "And no wards on the Slytherin common room or dorms can keep him out and no spell a student could cast could do the same."

"_There are a few younger years I believe will be nice enough to them."_ Eridanus told Fawkes. _"Some of the older students though may take a chance to please Voldemort."_

"_I will be at your beck and call."_ Fawkes promised him. _"But bear in mind that even those older students may not have chosen their fates as much as been forced to take a side to survive."_

Eridanus trilled in agreement and took to the air again and Thor followed him out of the window. _"I'm going to go be pampered by my Damy so I don't have to put up with those owls."_ Thor declared.

"_I'll come for a bit." _Eridanus declared and followed Thor through the window into Damien's dorm taking the changing occupants by surprise. Thor forced himself on Damien, demanding attention and Eridanus trilled in amusement.

"Eri? Thor?" Damien asked as he sat on the bed in his boxers and patted his lap for Thor. Thor glided across and settled on Damien's leg and got a kiss on the head.

"_He wanted to be pampered by 'his Damy'."_ Eridanus told him privately.

"His Damy, am I?" Damien laughed and ruffled Thor's feathers as the bird hooted in embarrassment. Eridanus settled on the back of the headboard and leaned down to nibble on Damien's ear.

"_I had to take a letter to Snape and I needed Thor's help to find him. He doesn't want to go back with the other owls that'll quiz him about the 'bright shiny bird'."_ Eridanus told him. _"Thor and Hedwig really are smarter than the average owls."_

"I know." Damien whispered back and kissed his owl again. "Are you going back to the girls?" Eridanus nodded and took wing. "Thor's staying with me then?"

Thor hooted in agreement and settled down for a nap and Damien laughed and shifted so he was lying down with Thor on his stomach. Eridanus trilled quietly and burst into flames yet again to head back to his little sisters. It was time to get settled into Hogwarts for another year. He imagined it would be just as interesting as the last year.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	16. Epilogue

Birth of a Phoenix

A/N; Well this is it for this story and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it even though I don't think I've ever had so many reviewers cursing me for making them cry. It's a very emotional piece and for those that really liked that emotional depth I've got another story similar to this in the works though it's less about the death and more about the aftermath.

Anyway, enjoy the last piece of Birth of a Phoenix.

Chapter 16; Epilogue

Eridanus heard the call from his place with Benjamin, Damien, Acacia and Crisanta. It was his dad calling his name which he'd never done before which meant it had to be bad. He left his four siblings in the den watching a movie as he burst into flames, searching out his father, across the country.

He burst into the air right above a rather one sided battle. There were half a dozen Aurors, including Sirius and his father, pinned down under shields and they were fending off twice the number of Death Eaters, a few Dementors and worst of all Voldemort himself. Eridanus closed his wings and dove down to land behind his father's shield and chirped out his arrival.

"Thank god." James gasped. "He's blocked our port-keys. The civilians are all out but we're pinned down."

Eridanus spread his wings and trilled an agreement. "We can't just run off one at a time." Sirius yelled. Eridanus bounced forwards and jabbed at Sirius' hand and then James'. "Can you take us all at once?" Sirius asked. Eridanus trilled out an agreement.

"Everyone grab hold!" James yelled and with a quick volley of covering fire that sent the Death Eaters back a bit everyone grabbed hold of each other and Eridanus hopped onto his dad's shoulder and transported them all away in flames, aiming for somewhere he knew well enough to not have to worry about his destination. They emerged in Hogwarts' Great Hall and the twelve of them fell down half a foot and then fell all over the floor. Eridanus wobbled and fell over as James landed hard on Sirius but the man managed to catch Eridanus before he could end up under anyone. He righted himself as they all groaned at the sudden drop.

"Sorry, guys. He's still a baby." James called loudly making a few laugh. "He's not quite got height right just yet."

Eridanus trilled angrily. "Actually I think he got it perfect." Sirius complained as he extricated himself from under James. "Just for Ben and Damien." It wasn't Eridanus' fault they'd been crouching down.

"True." James sat up and Eridanus fluttered up onto his shoulder and looked around. "Anyone hurt?"

"Nothing too bad." Someone declared just as the doors burst open and Dumbledore appeared looking worried. They all clambered up as Dumbledore took in the sight of them all.

"James, my boy." Dumbledore called. "What happened?"

"Death Eater raid in Windsor." James explained. "We got outnumbered. We got the civilians out but then got pinned down. Eridanus came to the rescue."

"Still working on that landing then?" Dumbledore teased and got a warning trill from him.

"Everyone up to the Hospital Wing then." James announced and Dumbledore nodded.

"I'll have the kitchens whip up something for you all to eat." Dumbledore happily announced as if Aurors appearing in his school was an everyday event. James got himself checked out and waited for Poppy to check Sirius before turning to Estatrius. Sirius grabbed hold and Estatrius took them both home to his siblings who had been worrying where Eridanus had disappeared to so quickly.

Eridanus settled into Ben's lap and watched in amusement as James suffered under Lily's inspecting. Sirius laughed too and that was like a nail in his coffin as it turned her attention onto him. It was the summer after Ben's sixth year, Damien's fourth and the twins' first year and it had been a much quieter year in the school itself until right at the end. Things in the Wizarding World had seriously kicked off against Voldemort. Most of the public seemed too scared to even go outside and numerous children had been pulled from Hogwarts and kept home. Supposedly that was due to get worse this year after Draco Malfoy had let Death Eaters into the school. Their actual target had been Dumbledore but as soon as they'd attacked the Great Hall Fawkes and Eridanus had gone straight to the Auror Offices at the Ministry and just kept bringing more and more of them into the school to protect the students.

Draco Malfoy himself had tried to attack Ben and had, for a moment, the perfect chance to curse him but hadn't been able to actually take a life. Then Ben had pulled up his core and Draco hadn't lasted more than a few seconds under the overwhelming power. Draco was currently in isolation in an undisclosed muggle prison with a bracelet that prevented him from casting any magic. It was a scheme that had recently been set up after it became obvious that Voldemort could free his people from Azkaban with very little effort.

Ben had been torn. He was still getting training from Dumbledore, James, Remus and Sirius but he still remembered what he'd once said to Dumbledore. That if Harry died he'd have no part in any of this. But in all honesty Voldemort wasn't just going to let him do a runner and he'd target his younger siblings to get to him. So Ben did have to train and he knew he would have to go after Voldemort at some point. Or at least be ready when Voldemort came after him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**A year later**

Eridanus flew circles of the battle, trying to keep an eye on everything at once. Or more specifically Damien and Ben. They were on the lawn of the school and it was the middle of their exam period when the wards had come under heavy attack. The final battle was coming and everyone knew it. They couldn't get people out through the wards but Aurors flocked to the school in their hundreds along with parents and anyone capable and willing to stand between the children and the Death Eaters.

He tried to keep an eye on his entire family and it was only possible because James, Ben and Damien were trying so hard to stick together despite all the chaos around them. Sirius and Remus were with them forming a small stationary island in the sea of fighting individuals. Their mother was back near the castle pulling people out of the fight and in to be treated by the healers and the school Professors and the sixth and seventh years were guarding them while the fifth years were responsible for keeping the younger students safe.

Most of the fight seemed to be the Aurors fending off the mass of Death Eaters with the occasion group of parents or good citizens trying to turn the tide. It wasn't until almost a half hour into the fight when Voldemort appeared out of the sea of Death Eaters and engaged James in a duel that was spectacular in its viciousness. In an instant the Auror in James vanished and he became lethal in his desire to take Voldemort down before he could get to his sons. Death Eaters joined the fight to keep Sirius, Remus, Ben and Damien busy but when a spell came at James that he couldn't fend off fast enough Ben joined the duel with a flare of blue light that battered aside Voldemort's spell. Eridanus sunk lower, ready to protect his brothers no matter what and as soon as Voldemort had Ben on the defensive he dove in to distract Voldemort and scored deep lacerations on his wand arm and hand before he was forced to retreat.

Ben steadied himself but didn't see Voldemort's move coming until it was already happening. Voldemort found Ben's biggest weakness and struck hard and fast. His Killing Curse shot out but not at Ben but at Damien who saw the flash out of the corner of his eye. His instant distraction cost him as a laceration curse from the Death Eater he was duelling got through his defences. A deep slice appeared across his chest even as he turned to stare at the Killing Curse barrelling towards him but then flames erupted between him and the curse and it struck the centre of the flames. A flash of green and the flames went out and ash fell to the ground.

"Eri!" Ben cried out even as Sirius caught Damien and Remus sent a vicious spell at the Death Eater that had hurt Damien. Ben turned on Voldemort and blue flames circled him for just an instant as he drew on Eridanus' power even across the gap. The clear shell that always held the flames in check shattered and with a roar the blue flames roared upwards into the sky before flexing and blasting in front of Ben right at Voldemort. The Dark Lord and his Death Eaters threw up shields in a panic but the spells shattered under the onslaught. Screams were heard from the Death Eaters before the flames receded. Bodies lay strewn before Ben like people in front of a cannon firing grape-shot and in pride of place was the half incinerated body of Voldemort.

The entire battle came to a halt in shock but Ben didn't care for any of that as he spun and collapsed by the pile of ash. In two years Eridanus had never had a burning day but to see just a little pile of ash where his beloved Eridanus, his brother, should be was heart-wrenching.

"Ben…" A weak voice called and Ben fell over in his attempt to turn to find Damien. He was being held against his father's chest and he was a horrific sight. His chest was bared and a deep slash ran across it. Ben forgot Eri for a moment as he scrambled across to Damien and grabbed his hands.

"No, Damy." Ben felt tears.

"I'm okay." Damien smiled weakly. "Tired…"

"It looks mostly superficial." Sirius tried to offer but Ben could only stare in horror as his hands shifted to lie over Damien's bloodied chest. He was ignorant of the Aurors rounding up Death Eaters as they tried to flee. He was ignorant of the numerous wounded calling for help or even Remus running to find the nearest available medic. Ben put his hands on Damien's torn chest and dropped his head onto Damien's.

"Promise me." He cried. "Don't leave me too."

"Not going anywhere, Benji." Damien nodded against his forehead. "Eri?"

A little trill erupted from by Ben's side and he twisted his head to see a baby Phoenix hopping haphazardly to Damien's side before with beak and claws he scrambled up onto his stomach and spread his wings. "He's alright." Ben breathed out in relief.

"He saved me." Damien whispered.

"Of course he did." Ben half laughed before looking up as somebody knelt down next to them. It was Madam Pomfrey and their mother was right behind her wringing her hands anxiously. They were attracting a small crowd now even as Aurors checked Voldemort's body. Ben pulled back but took Damien's hands in his own as Pomfrey started working over Damien's chest. "Madam Pomfrey? He'll be alright, won't he?" Ben pleaded.

"It's mostly surface damage." She nodded before looking around quickly. "I'll do what I can and then you'd best head home away from all this chaos." She declared. "Damien needs rest and a lot of it."

"Sirius, Remus?" James asked from where he was still holding Damien up and for a moment Eridanus marvelled at how similar the position was to how Ben had held him for the last time when he was still human.

"What do you need?" Remus offered.

"Check on the girls and take them home?" James asked.

"We'll make a holiday of it." Sirius nodded. "I'll get the girls, Remus can find Tonks and then go get Teddy."

"Teddy can entertain Damien while he's stuck in bed." Ben gave a watery laugh as he clutched his brother's hands. Damien was starting to drift off and Ben gave a sob before he could stop himself.

"It's okay, Ben." James soothed. "He's going to sleep. It's not happening again, Ben. He's going to be fine."

Damien nodded tiredly and squeezed Ben's hands to calm him but Ben was struggling to detach himself from the memory in his mind.

"Right." Pomfrey stood up and pulled a few vials from her pocket and handed them to their mother. "Give him both of these when he wakes up but I'll try to get over to check on him soon."

"Thank you, Poppy." Their mother smiled and then Pomfrey was rushing off in the direction that Sirius and Remus had left in. "James? Can you apparate Damien?"

"Sure." James nodded.

"Ben?" She checked. Ben slowly let go of Damien and with a small pop his father disapparated through the crumbled Hogwarts wards. Ben stood up, scooping baby Eridanus into his hands. He nodded and with a moment's thought he vanished after his father and brother with Eridanus going along for the ride. His mother right on his trail.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Decades later**

"Aunt Acacia and Aunt Crisanta aren't going to make it." Teddy told Joshua Potter quietly as he slipped into the room. His own godson turned to nod at him and he moved to Joshua's father's bedside. Damien turned his head tiredly to look at him. "You're looking better." Teddy told him quietly.

"Hearing still works too." Damien smiled a little. "Can't make it?"

"Auntie Crisanta has pneumonia." Teddy told his 'cousin', even though he always called him Uncle, as he settled down on the edge of the bed. Teddy was in his late fifties but Damien was almost eighty and failing fast. The healer didn't expect him to make it through the night but it would be peaceful. "And Aunt Acacia needs to stay with Uncle Lewie."

"It's okay." Damien nodded a little and turned to look for his son.

"Michelle is with the kids." Joshua explained his wife's absence. Damien hadn't wanted a big crowd for this just like Benjamin hadn't. Damien had spent the night at his big brother's bedside three years ago and Teddy and Joshua had promised to do the same for him. They all had their own lives and families now but Eridanus tied them all together as their everlasting love and warmth.

"Eri?" Damien asked knowing that his big brother wouldn't miss this for anything and he knew that Eridanus would be on the other side when he saw Benjamin again.

"He's cheering up Michael." Joshua explained. Michael was his son and after Benjamin had passed away a few years ago Eridanus had bonded to Michael a short while later. Joshua also had two younger girls but Michael was very close to his granddad Damien. "Michael's very upset."

Damien tilted his head to look at his eldest child. "He's too young." Damien whispered.

"He's too young." Joshua nodded and wiped at his damp eyes. "But Eridanus will look after him just like he looks after all of us."

Damien was proud of his family. Of Joshua and his wife, Michelle, and their three children even if things with his own wife hadn't worked out. Then of course Benjamin's family. Ben's wife had passed away in an accident when their own son had only been ten and his son now had two twin boys that were at Hogwarts. Acacia and Crisanta also had their own families but had moved to the United States. Eridanus took letters back and forth but in recent years they hadn't seen much of each other.

"Michael will look after Eridanus." Damien nodded but neither Teddy nor Joshua knew the truth about Eridanus and neither did Michael and it would stay that way as Harry had asked.

"And Uncle Ben and Uncle Harry will look after you." Teddy smiled and leant down to kiss his Uncle on the forehead. Damien smiled. He'd remembered saying the same thing to his big brother before he'd passed away. Damien felt his eyes growing heavy and smiled when he felt warmth and then feathers against his cheek as Eridanus appeared and silently nuzzled with him.

"Love you both." Damien whispered to his nephew and son.

"We love you too, dad." Joshua told him quietly just as Damien fell asleep for the last time.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"It's okay, Damy." It was such a familiar voice but to hear it with his ears rather than in his mind made everything become so real to him. So bright and so perfect.

"Harry?" Damien asked and heard a bit of a laugh.

"You _can_ open your eyes, little brother." Damien's eyes snapped open as he heard Benjamin's voice and he found himself looking at Harry as he had been the last time he'd seen him except with none of the weakness that had eventually killed him. Ben stood with an arm around his own twin looking exactly the same age as Harry. Damien looked down at himself to realise he was just a teenager again. He looked like he had when he'd been able to hold Harry in his arms. Damien leapt forwards and crashed into his big brothers and they enveloped him in warm arms.

"Harry!" Damien sobbed into his neck as Ben held them both up.

"I saw you just before you fell asleep." Harry reminded him.

"It's not the same." Damien laughed and pulled his head back and turned to look up at Ben. "I've really missed you these last few years."

Ben smiled warmly at him. "I never really left you. I've been watching."

"I know." Damien smiled. "God I've missed you both so much."

"We know, little brother." Harry smiled.

"So I'm really dead, right?" Damien asked Harry.

"Your body is." Harry nodded. "But your soul can't die and this place gives your soul form."

"Is it always so bright?" Damien laughed.

"It's whatever you want it to be." Ben told him. "With anyone you want to be with. Sometimes I'm with Catherine and sometimes I'm with mum and dad but I'm always with Harry. Our souls exist only with each other."

"Mum and Dad?" Damien asked.

"You just have to think on them and they'll hear you and they'll come eventually." Harry smiled. Damien turned in Ben's arms and put his back to his oldest brother and as if they were stepping out of fog his parents appeared. Damien jumped out of his brother's arms and into a joint hug with his parents. They looked just like they had when he'd been a teenager. Damien was rattling off anything that came to his mind within minutes but Harry interrupted by placing a hand on Damien's arm. "I have to go. Michael needs me."

"Needs you?" Damien frowned, worried for his grandson.

"It's your funeral." Harry told him softly. "Time is different here but you'll know if you need to watch something. Michael is upset and he's hiding. Jacob and Luke are looking for him but he's not playing fair." Harry smiled a little at that.

"Mum and Dad know?" Damien looked between them.

"They know everything." Harry smiled before stepping back. He gave Damien a loving smile before the fog seemed to flow around him and he disappeared to comfort Michael.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Five hundred years later**

Eridanus soared over the crowds, drawing stares from hundreds of people as he swooped through towards Noah Potter. He didn't pick his bonded really. When his previous bonded passed away he spent some time as himself with them in the afterlife and then felt drawn to his newer one. With Noah he'd been drawn to him almost straight away after his parents had been killed. His father having been his old bonded. He'd yet to bond to anyone other than a Potter and was seen as the Potter family's mascot but since he wasn't the only Phoenix and nobody really could tell them apart without knowing him intimately.

He spotted Noah with his college friends and glided down through the crowds of humans. He trilled and Noah turned to him. A smile broke across the eighteen year old's face and he raised an arm for Eridanus to land softly. "Wicked!" Noah's newest friend gasped. All of Noah's friends here were non-magical but it had been a long time since people were judged based on things like an ability to do magic. A hover ship passed almost silently overhead as Noah helped Eridanus hop up onto his shoulder while his new friends fawned over him. He spread his wings as Noah's new crush stroked his chest feathers, not that Noah or the other boy realised they were crushing on one another just yet. They were only three weeks into college so you couldn't really blame them but Eridanus had a good feeling about the guy.

For five hundred years since Benjamin had passed away he'd bounced between seven different bonded humans before Noah and always found himself drawn to Potters though there were now hundreds of them. They all knew of Eridanus but magic had faded a little in the last few centuries as Earth colonised other worlds and explored the galaxy. But he could move between the worlds with the same effort as it took him to move into or out of the afterlife because regardless of the distance people all went to the same place when they died.

Noah's friends at school had known he was a wizard but magic was no longer taught like it used to be. Wizards and Witches weren't even called that anymore. They were simply humans with advanced abilities like telekinesis, telepathy, advanced healing and intelligence. They schooled with humans with no magic and they went into jobs with them as well. Magic had simply evolved when it became 'outdated' by advancing technology. With magic's joining with the normal world so to had magical creatures like Phoenixes and their effect on the environment meant they'd spread to colonies just as humans had. It wasn't rare to see a centaur on the streets in cities or a goblin family buying real estate on the terraformed Mars but seeing a Phoenix gliding down the street was still a novelty and even after a decade Noah still grinned whenever Eridanus appeared.

"_He's cute. I like him."_ Eridanus teased Noah as his crush continued to stroke him. _"You can take him home. I won't complain."_

"Eri!" Noah blushed furiously before realising his friends were now curious. "Eridanus is just teasing me."

"_Your blush just gives you away."_ Eridanus laughed in his head. _"It's alright. He likes you too. You should ask him out. I could take you to Rissen Paradise Islands! You could sunbathe naked together. I'll even give you privacy for the night."_

Noah simply turned to hide his face in Eridanus' feathers knowing he'd never get out of at least asking him out now. Eridanus wouldn't let him off the hook and that was probably a good thing. Eridanus refused to ever admit he was wrong but even Noah had to admit his Phoenix was in fact normally right about these sorts of things.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**The end.**


End file.
